EXCLUSIVE: World Cup winner Candela on France's prospects and Mbappe's duty

Some World Cups never truly end. For Vincent Candela, the 1998 tournament is one of those: every year it feels as though he is reliving it alongside the key figures of that first, unforgettable French World Cup victory: "It was a magnificent group. We still meet up every year!"

Like a family. And as happens with families, when you come together again, time appears to have stood still, even years later. Yet 28 years have passed since the then Roma full back lifted the World Cup into the Parisian sky before his own people.

Now aged 52, Vincent Candela looks ahead to the 2026 World Cup with the calm of someone who already knows what it feels like, from both perspectives.

Just days before the start of a competition that, for the first time in history, will be staged across three different nations, Mexico, the United States and Canada, the former defender speaks exclusively to Flashscore.

And his account naturally begins with that summer of 1998, when the whole world had its eyes fixed on Jacquet's Les Bleus.

"There was tension," he recalls, "but above all a passion to play in that World Cup, to be there in front of my French people. Great tension, but also fantastic emotion. Playing a World Cup at 25 was already something extraordinary for me. I savoured every moment, from start to finish."

In that tournament, Candela played only one match, against Denmark, but it was a decisive one: it secured France's top spot in Group C.

Vincent was nonetheless a vital part of that winning squad: "My best memory is the tremendous trust that existed among us. Even though I had played very little, there was incredible belief within the group.

"We went into the quarter finals and semi finals with our heads held high, chests out, exactly as a national side like France should, and we were doing it as hosts too. Trust is essential in a group, even for those who play less, as long as they believe in their teammates."

This time his role is different. He can watch France as a spectator, not as an involved protagonist, with greater lightness: "For the spectator, there is no pressure. Today I can simply think: may the best team win.

"I am French, but I have friends everywhere: Italy, France, Brazil. I hope that whoever truly lives for sport comes out on top. That is how I see it today. That is the difference between playing and being a fan, a spectator."

When it comes to assessing the prospects of Deschamps' side, however, Candela has no doubts: "In my view, France are favourites and will reach the latter stages regardless, just as they have at the last two World Cups.

"They have a very strong squad. There have been a few omissions in the squad selection, but that is normal when you have so many talented players. It goes with the territory."

Being the favourites, though, is not always easy to handle in a competition where everything is decided within a month: "It is true that everyone sees France in the final, but when you are strong, that is how it should be.

"The pressure is normal, even if the manager does not like it, because you could become complacent. And the World Cup does not allow that."

Candela knows this all too well, having lived through 2002, when the defending champions, who also held the European crown, failed to get past the group stage, eliminated by South Korea and a Senegal side appearing at their very first World Cup. It was a collapse that football still remembers as one of the most shocking in recent history.

As it happens, Senegal are in France's group again in 2026, alongside Norway and Iraq. "The World Cup is never easy. That is part of what makes football beautiful," says Candela, and in those words lies all the awareness of someone who knows that predictions, in a tournament like this, only go so far.

Talk of France inevitably leads to Kylian Mbappe, the star of a squad packed with outstanding players. Candela speaks about him with balance, no flattery and no free passes.

"If I have to name an important player, I obviously say Mbappe, even though he did not have a great season at Real Madrid. But he is a player who makes the difference. I expect him to take the team on his shoulders and carry France to the final alongside the manager."

Alongside Mbappe, in Candela's thinking, there is another name he mentions with great enthusiasm, partly because he plays for "his" Roma: "I have great faith in Kone. He had a brilliant season. In my view, he can still grow further in terms of goal involvement and assists. He is a player who takes hold of the midfield, and that makes all the difference."

Then there is the matter of Didier Deschamps. 13 years on the national bench, one World Cup won, a long and fruitful tenure approaching its final chapter. "With Deschamps, never say never. It is his last adventure, but after 13 years it would be wonderful if it ended with a victory!"

Candela also has clear ideas about the opponents most likely to give Les Bleus a hard time: "The rivals France should fear are always Argentina, Brazil and Spain. Those three teams, in my view, will reach the semi finals."

On Brazil in particular, there is a story connected to the Italian manager Vincent knows well: "I am curious to see Ancelotti's Brazil. The manager has been a genius throughout his career, but coaching a national team is a different thing altogether, especially when it is not your own country."

And then there is the comparison that comes up every time French greatness is discussed: Zinedine Zidane against Mbappe. Candela shuts it down before it can take shape, with no beating around the bush.

"Zidane won it for us in 1998 with a wonderful group of players and remains one of the five greatest players of all time. So the comparison with Mbappe is not yet possible.

"It is true that the Real Madrid forward won in 2018 (and I hope he wins again in 2026!), but I expect him to take the team firmly in his hands and carry France to the final, together with Deschamps."

When we ask him if he has a piece of advice for all the young players heading off to a World Cup for the very first time, he does not hesitate. And the advice is neither tactical nor technical: "The advice I would give is to enjoy the journey. Yes, the objective is to win, but in an adventure like this you can learn something new every day.

"The players will come into contact with different cultures, across Mexico, the United States and Canada. They need to enjoy this World Cup and grow both as players and as people, because you never stop learning."

The final question can only be a prediction. And here too, Candela has no hesitation, even if there is a touch of doubt: "Who will lift the trophy in the New York sky? France or Argentina."

And that final would be a rematch of the 2022 decider in Qatar, when Lionel Messi's Seleccion prevailed. The same Messi who this year will play his last World Cup.