France went to America for two games and left with two wins, six goals, and a statement that every World Cup rival will have noted. Didier Deschamps brought his side to the United States as part of the Road to 26 series and departed with a perfect record, the clearest sign yet that Les Bleus are among the genuine favourites for the tournament this summer.
GAME ONE: BRAZIL 1-2 FRANCE, GILLETTE STADIUM, FOXBOROUGH
The match France will be remember for was settled before it turned complicated. Aurelien Tchouameni won the ball in midfield, Ousmane Dembele played a perfectly weighted through ball, and Kylian Mbappe timed his run to beat the offside trap before lobbing Ederson with a composed chip. France's captain, back from his knee injury and playing his first start in weeks, answered any lingering doubts about his fitness in the most stylish way possible.
The game changed early in the second half when Dayot Upamecano was sent off after VAR reviewed his challenge on Wesley, upgrading an initial yellow card to red for denying a clear goalscoring opportunity. France went down to ten men on the same pitch where they will play their final World Cup group game, against Norway. Most managers would sit in, protect the lead, and take a 1-0 win. Deschamps did not.
Michael Olise, carrying his Bayern Munich form seamlessly into international football, drove through the centre of the pitch and slipped the ball through for Hugo Ekitike, who dinked the ball over Ederson in identical fashion to Mbappe's opener to make it 2-0. Liverpool's top scorer this season capped a display that appears to have cemented his World Cup place.
Brazil gave themselves hope through Bremer in the 78th minute, redirecting a Luiz Henrique cross from close range. The final fifteen minutes belonged to the Selecao, with Vinicius Junior and Bremer both going close to forcing an equaliser. France, down to ten, held firm. The final whistle was met with boos from the 66,215 crowd, the majority of whom had come to cheer Brazil. The win gave France their seventh head-to-head victory over Brazil.
Raphinha, who had started for Brazil, was replaced at half-time after feeling discomfort in his right thigh. The scan the following day confirmed what many feared: a right hamstring injury that will keep him out for five weeks.
GAME TWO: COLOMBIA 1-3 FRANCE, NORTHWEST STADIUM, LANDOVER
If the Brazil game was a test of resilience, the Colombia game was a showcase of France's extraordinary depth. Deschamps rotated heavily from his strongest XI and still dismantled a full-strength Colombia side that had gone over a year unbeaten.
Desire Doue gave France the lead on 29 minutes, converting a well-worked team move in the right side of the box. Marcus Thuram doubled it five minutes before half-time, rising to meet a precise cross from Maghnes Akliouche with a powerful header. The result was already settled by the time Doue added his second on 56 minutes, finishing from a fast counter-attack after Thuram threaded a pass through to the back post.
The fact that Mbappe came on as a substitute for the final half hour underlines just how ridiculous France's attacking options are. With Dembele, Ekitike, Olise, Doue, Thuram, Rayan Cherki, Kolo Muani and Barcola all available across the two games, Deschamps has a selection headache that any manager in the world would happily accept.
Colombia pulled one back through Jaminton Campaz in the 77th minute, his left-footed strike from the centre of the box sneaking into the top corner after Jhon Cordoba's shot was blocked. It was a deserved consolation for a side that created chances but could not take them.
France have now won eight of their last nine games. They face Colombia's World Cup group rivals Norway, with Erling Haaland, in the group stage this summer. They will face them at Gillette Stadium, the same ground they just dominated on this tour.
Deschamps will step down after the World Cup. Two wins in America, with ten men for much of the hardest game, suggests he intends to go out on the highest note possible.
