EXCLUSIVE: France legend Desailly on their World Cup hopes and how African nations will fare

France kick off their campaign with a tough match against Senegal in New Jersey next week. Ahead of the tournament, the former Chelsea and AC Milan star, who also works as a FIFA ambassador, spoke exclusively to Flashscore's Tolga Akdeniz.

He shared his views on what he expects from the World Cup in his role with FIFA, how France and the African teams might perform, and much more.

We saw you in action before the World Cup as a FIFA ambassador. What are your expectations for this tournament on a continent where football is not the main sport?

"I am really proud to be a FIFA ambassador because there is still plenty of work to do. Even though football is the greatest sport worldwide, we still have many markets to capture: India, China, New Zealand, Australia, the United States, Canada, Thailand. We are not the number one sport there.

"In America, there are four or five sports ahead of us. You have basketball, American football, baseball, and hockey as well. So it is what it is. It is good to be back for the first time since 1994. We have been away from America, and there is a real gap between what we perceive and the reality on the ground.

"We think the World Cup is everything. But when you look closely, you realise that in America, the excitement around the World Cup is not that intense. All the stadiums are full, but deep down in cities across the United States, it is not really crazy.

"They have done well. They have created a new system for selling tickets online, allowing resale, which has given a boost to the revenue side. But there is a real task for Canada and America to increase interest in football. So having 48 teams in the system now has both good and bad aspects.

"It gives access to more matches and helps capture more people's attention. You should know I have a statistic. The exposure of each World Cup match in America, Canada, and Mexico will be equivalent to the Super Bowl in the US. So it is what it is. It is hugely exposed worldwide, and we are looking forward to it."

Where would you place France among the trophy contenders now, a couple of weeks before the tournament, especially considering teams like Argentina, Spain, Brazil and England?

"You saw the friendly match against Brazil. You saw and felt the difference in class between the teams. Now with Neymar back in the setup, maybe Brazil will reach another level. But the first impression we all have is that France have an amazing squad. When you look at the individuals in the team, no other team can claim to have such powerful players.

"Spain might be better. Argentina are the current holders. But if Didier (Deschamps) can bring tactical organisation to the system, France will again be one of the best. Portugal could be a surprise. I believe Portugal will be the surprise of the tournament. Because if you look clearly at the type of players they have, it is just amazing to another level.

"I truly believe the individuality we have within is just great. And there is no (Kylian) Mbappe problem. Everyone accepts he is the leader of the French national team, even though (Ousmane) Dembele is a Ballon d'Or winner. So it depends. France have to play Senegal, who are the African Cup of Nations winners. We can never consider Morocco as the winner.

"The way you start the first match will set up the rest of your tournament, probably because it is not an easy group they are in. You have (Erling) Haaland with Norway on the other side. If you start badly and have to play, you are lucky that you play Iraq in your second match.

"But you never know, you might be stressed for your second game. Luckily, now this World Cup has 48 teams. So you also have your best third-placed team that can easily go through. So there is no fear. You ask me the question, there is no fear. There is the possibility of France winning, but at least the semi-finals."

There is a lot of talk about Zinedine Zidane potentially becoming France manager after the World Cup. Do you see his arrival as a continuation of what Deschamps did, or will he try something different?

"I think Zidane did very, very well with Real Madrid. But he had no real chance to express his philosophy. I think he took what (Rafa) Benitez before him put in place with the players he recruited into the system. Luckily, he brought his own understanding of the game, and it worked amazingly.

"For the national team, I believe he will try hard to erase the philosophy that Didier has put in place and establish his own philosophy into the system. I am sure that four or five players who are first choice for Didier will leave the team to make space for a different philosophy. It has not been officially announced that it will be him, but it looks like there is a big chance.

"Especially because Zidane never wanted to join any club. Chelsea gave him blank cheques to come and coach them. Manchester United said the same when they were facing problems. Turkish teams too. So it means Zidane has a real lifestyle understanding.

"So he needs his space. The national team will give him the power to return to the system and at the same time allow him to maintain a decent quality of life."

Beyond personal considerations, what future do you imagine for your friend Deschamps? Would you like to see him back in charge of a club or a national team, or perhaps in another role?

"I think he will go for another national team. I do not see Didier going on every day. We are the same age. I was born in September, he was born in October. I do not see him taking over a club. He will definitely take a national team."

You were captain of the French team during the 2002 debacle. That opening game defeat against Senegal was a big upset and shaped the rest of the tournament. Do you think that match will still be in the players' minds before the World Cup clash, or does it firmly belong to the past?

"Many of the boys actually in the team were not born then. So only the media and people around may remember it, but I think they are stronger than that, honestly. They will handle it correctly, rather than thinking it is a curse that they will have the same result as the French team in 2002.

"There were other factors. We played the opening match. We were the defending World Cup champions and we also won the Euros. So we were stressed. Most of us were around 32 or 31 years old. You cannot compare.

"The game is the same, but it is a different generation. Senegal will certainly use all the happiness from that victory they had back then. But from a French perspective, it is a different approach. Even though Senegal are African Cup winners, I still believe it does not disturb the minds of these players.

"It is funny because in 2002, when we came to play against Senegal, we had the best three strikers. (David) Trezeguet was the top scorer in Italy, Thierry Henry the top scorer in England, and Djibril Cisse the top scorer in France. But it is what it is."

You have previously spoken about the quality of African nations ahead of this World Cup. How do you see Ivory Coast and Senegal doing? But naturally, you must be thinking about Ghana too, who have brought in Carlos Queiroz just before the tournament. What do you make of that?

"I loved the previous coach (Otto Addo). He was unlucky that they did not perform during the friendlies. But I believe Queiroz will bring his own touch into the system. I talk about the system. In Ghana and many other countries, the system means the coach sometimes has to adapt to what management and administration tell him.

"So Queiroz will deal with his own sensibility. He knows about football. He has experience in football. He has real experience in European football over the years. So he will reduce some of the egos. In Africa, we have a problem with egos. The older players in the team, who are no longer performing, are still there and you cannot move them out.

"There are some very good players who are first choice in the Premier League and other leagues. So I am hoping that Ghana, along with Morocco, Senegal, and Ivory Coast, will be the surprises of this World Cup. We have 10 African teams at the World Cup.

"So Ghana could be one of the surprises if they start very well with confidence and a good philosophy from Queiroz, and eliminate all the things I mentioned: the egos and problems with older players who sometimes delay the development of others."

Antoine Semenyo had a superb season in England and seems ready to take on the role of leader of the Black Stars. What do you expect from him at the World Cup?

"He is that individual player who, when you face challenges, can with one move or one run allow Ghana to stay in the game. So that is what we expect from him. Be disciplined. Do not take advantage because you are a Manchester City player, you are a star, you are arriving in Ghana, and you are bigger than the entity and the team. You understand?

"So he really needs to come with humility and be that top player who can make the difference. The issue is he needs to stay disciplined even though he is a Manchester City player and one of the stars. We need him to be one of the key players who can lift them when they are in a difficult situation.

"They have not qualified for the African Cup of Nations, so expectations in Ghana are very high, and the players are eager to be part of international competition."

In 2007, you said you wanted to take charge of the Ghana national team one day. That never happened, and you ultimately ended up never managing. Do you have regrets about that?

"No, I feel I am very useful to sport and football through what I do outside the game. Yes, I could coach a team of 25 players, with my name in the newspapers, but I believe what I do today in my life - I almost took the Ghana national team but some lifestyle choices stopped me from taking the position.

"On my home soil, I did not want it to... in the end, you get sacked. You start well, but eventually there is always a drop. So I did not want to face this issue during my lifetime.

"So I am useful to football by giving my expertise. I hold a UEFA Pro Licence. I work on TV, which allows me to share my expertise with fans, my charity, my academy, and the promotion I do around the world to raise interest in soccer.

"I am a small entrepreneur here in Ghana, managing many people through my ventures."