It could well be a superstition, but there is something called the champion's curse. Only two teams have ever defended a World Cup title—Italy (1934, 1938) and Brazil (1958, 1962). But, it is intriguing that four consecutive World Cup holders from Europe have crashed out in the group stages. The trend started with France at the first World Cup in Asia in 2002.
Twenty years later, France arrive at the second World Cup in Asia as holders. Will the curse hit them again? The signs are all there. For one, high-profile French players have suffered injuries. Centre-back Raphael Varane may not start and the World Cup-winning midfield duo of N’Golo Kante and Paul Pogba are both out. But, an incredible talent pool will still enable France to field a strong team.
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