Former England international Stephen Warnock was at the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a BBC co-commentator. He sat down with Get French Football News to discuss France’s tournament so far and the impact Michael Olise has made. 

What were your thoughts on France before this tournament, and have they changed?

My thoughts were that they were the favourites, and from what I’ve seen so far, I haven’t changed my mind. Spain, Argentina, and England are also left. I think in one-off games that if England were to get to the final, I think that they can win the game, but I’d still have France as favourites going into it. 

When you look at their forward players and the depth in their forward players – to be able to change a game, to change the wingers, add more pace, and more guile into the attack. You’ve got finishers off the bench, people who know where the goal is. And you’ve arguably got the player of the tournament in Michael Olise. I mean, everyone will look at the goal scorers. I just look at him and think he’s the difference maker. He’s the player who can change things, who can, within an instant, hit that killer pass or beat a player. 

My only concern with the French team is that they can be got at in defence. Lucas Digne, I think he’s a brilliant player, but when he comes up against fast wingers, I think [the opposition] can utilise that. Dayot Upamecano has the odd mistake in him, where he almost gets too complacent and finds things a little too easy, and I think you can take advantage of that. But I think the French have the best squad, and we know what their capabilities are. 

Morocco were expected to be their biggest test so far, but they struggled to lay a glove on them. Were you surprised by that?

Yeah, I was. And that is where you look at the French team and think that’s why they’re so good. We thought it would be a huge problem; obviously, Morocco were missing Ismael Saibari, and that did change things. It didn’t give them that outlet that they wanted, that ball in behind. However, like you said, they couldn’t get close to them, and that shows the quality of the French team. There are levels, and everyone was waiting for France to go up a level. It was almost as if everyone knew that Morocco was going to be a challenge, and well, they dismantled them. It was so easy for them at times. 

How do you think Spain will prepare for the semi-final? 

I think Spain will be more than comfortable going into the game. They know they’ll probably have more of the ball. France will allow them to have the ball. The danger is on the counterattack. Obviously, Spain have only conceded one goal in the tournament, in the last game against Belgium, but I think the interesting part of this is the centre-forward position. Mikel Oyarzabal plays almost as a false nine. And the two France centre-halves aren’t going to have anyone to play against; when do they step in? And how do they step in? Those rotations between Oyarzabal and Dani Olmo – if he plays in that position – they’re extremely clever in the way that they move. 

I also think it depends on how fit Nico Williams is coming back into the squad. Is he fit enough to start? Is he going to be fit enough to have an impact in the game? I know he came on against Belgium, but I don’t think he really impacted the game. It’s probably about the substitutes off the bench and how they use them because they’ve used them extremely well in the games so far. 

What’s your prediction for the game?

[Laughs] I think it’ll be very tight, but I still think France will just have enough. But Spain have had their number recently, and I think that is something that will play on the minds of the French players going into this game. Psychologically, Spain almost have that upper hand going into the game, knowing that they’ve got their number. But this France team look dangerous every time that they go forward. And they look better balanced. Manu Koné looks comfortable in that centre-midfield position. I really like him and have been really impressed. I know, obviously, they’ve lost Aurélien Tchouaméni through injury, but I think Koné, when he’s come in, his understanding of how to manage the game has been hugely impressive. 

There’s a sense in France that Didier Deschamps has finally released the handbrake for his final tournament. Do you get the sense that he’s underrated? 

No. Listen, I think if you’ve already won a World Cup, it shows you everything. You know what you’re capable of doing, and I think players will look at that and think, ‘Well, this guy knows how to win things.’

I think the element of letting the handbrake off is that it’s so exciting to see these players play with freedom. But now, when you look at the forward players and think of Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola on that left-hand side, Olise in the hole, they are very disciplined off the ball as well. So they know how to defend, and how quickly they need to get back into position. Ousmane Dembélé’s the same, because they’ve all got that skillset at Paris Saint-Germain or Bayern Munich. Kylian Mbappé’s even putting a shift in. So when you look at this, it’s different to when you let the handbrake off, and the players don’t track back. They do [track back], they’re hardworking. There’s an element of these players understanding tactically how to play better than the previous players. 

If France win the tournament, do you think that would be enough for Kylian Mbappé to win the Ballon d’Or?

I don’t know because you look at Olise’s form. I think Olise will definitely be in the mix, but it depends on how the tournament will end, because we know what people are like. If Mbappé scores a hat-trick in the final, everybody will look at him and go ‘Well, that surely has to give him the Ballon d’Or.’ My personal opinion would be that it will be Olise. I just think the guy is incredible, how much he’s improved over the last 18 months. He’s been phenomenal, and as I’ve said before, he’s been the player of the tournament. He’s the one player you just look at and think, ‘Yeah.’ I mean, Mbappé creates his own goals, but the runs he makes and the way Olise sees him, I still think Olise is the player to watch. 

It seems like Olise has gone to a new level since leaving Crystal Palace for Bayern Munich.

He has gone to a new level, whether that’s better players in and around him, whether it’s belief from Vincent Kompany or just something that he’s worked on individually – a mindset, mentality. There’s a feeling that every time he picks the ball up, it feels like he’s going to do something and he’s going to affect the game. And that’s the big thing. Sometimes, when you have a player of his ability, you see him dribble two or three times and think, ‘Well, give me more,’ and he gives you more every single time. Whether it’s the change in environment in going to Bayern Munich or whatever it is, but he’s certainly kicked on another level. I don’t think many people would have seen him at Crystal Palace as a potential Ballon d’Or winner and a potential World Cup winner. I think they probably would have thought, he won’t start in the World Cup squad for France, he won’t start in that team, he’ll be a bit-part player, but he’s been so influential. 

Stephen Warnock was speaking exclusively to GFFN on behalf of BetTOM.

GFFN | Nick Hartland