Deschamps relishes Mbappe Haaland showdown in 2026 World Cup group
France coach Didier Deschamps says he is excited by the prospect of a World Cup group stage showdown between Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland after France were drawn with Norway for the 2026 tournament. Speaking after Friday’s draw in Washington, Deschamps called the meeting of the Real Madrid and Manchester City stars a “beautiful duel”, noting that both are global icons and leading contenders for the Golden Boot. France and Norway will face each other in Group I alongside Senegal, with the final team to come from an intercontinental playoff between Iraq, Bolivia or Suriname, in what Deschamps described as one of the toughest groups. Mbappe has already scored around 30 goals in 24 appearances for club and country this season, while Haaland has hit more than 30 in a similar number of games, form that underlines expectations around their […]