Ooh la la: France’s unparalleled team of superstars will light up Philly in the World Cup

There will be a lot of great teams and fun vibes in Philadelphia’s World Cup games this summer. But none will be able to match France’s array of superstar talent.

In fact, almost no other team in the world can run with the team’s depth, except maybe Spain and England. Brazil, which also will play in Philadelphia, probably is fourth.

It’s not just that France has all-everything forwards Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé, the latter the current holder of the Ballon d’Or as the world’s best player. The team has astonishing depth at every position on the field and players at elite clubs around Europe.

They span all ages, too, from 34-year-old midfield anchor N’Golo Kanté to 19-year-old playmaker Warren Zaïre-Emery. Manager Didier Deschamps, in his third and final World Cup at the helm, will have the task of trying to pick 26 players for his squad from a sea of talent.

Not that there’s any pressure, either, after France won the 2018 World Cup — Mbappé’s breakout on the big stage — and made the 2022 final. Just three teams in soccer history have made three straight World Cup finals: West Germany’s men in 1982, ’86, and ’90; Brazil’s men in 1994, ’98, and 2002; and the U.S. women in 2011, ’15, and ’19.

It won’t be surprising if France joins that club this summer, but it will be quite impressive. Les Bleus have tough group games against Senegal, the newly crowned African champion, and Norway, with its own stars in Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard.

In the knockout rounds, Germany could await in a round of 16 game set for July 4 in Philadelphia. Getting to see France here twice would be quite a treat for local fans, especially that matchup.

(all times Eastern)

Tuesday, June 16: vs. Senegal in East Rutherford, N.J. (3 p.m., Fox29)

Monday, June 22: vs. Bolivia, Suriname, or Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field (5 p.m., Fox29, tickets)

Friday, June 26: vs. Norway in Foxborough, Mass. (3 p.m., Fox29)

France’s opponent in Philadelphia will be determined by a UEFA playoff in March. Bolivia will play Suriname on March 28, and the winner will play Iraq on March 31, with both games in Monterrey, Mexico. … France is one of only eight nations to have won a men’s World Cup. It became that club’s seventh member in 1998, with a team led by the legendary Zinedine Zidane. … The Paris region has been renowned for nearly a decade as having the biggest pool of young soccer prospects anywhere in the world. … Six candidates to make France’s team played in Philadelphia during the Club World Cup, though Mbappé did not because he was ill when Real Madrid visited. … Local estimates say just over 71,000 people in the region claim French ancestry.

Kylian Mbappé: The star of stars, with a personality to match his prolific scoring and creativity. One of the biggest in this tournament too, with Lionel Messi (Argentina), Cristiano Ronaldo (Portugal), and Lamine Yamal (Spain). Thousands of fans will flock to South Philly just to see him, no matter what jersey they’re wearing.

Ousmane Dembélé: Before he led Paris Saint-Germain to last year’s Champions League title and the Club World Cup title, he was one of the most frustrating players in the sport. For all his skill, he had a track record of messing up some of the biggest scoring chances you could imagine. Something finally clicked last season, and now he’s almost unstoppable.

William Saliba: France isn’t just stacked in its attack. Its defense also is terrific, and Deschamps cares about that a lot — he was the midfield anchor of France’s ’98 champions that won the European championship two years later. Saliba is a stalwart centerback for Les Bleus and English club Arsenal, and at 24 years old is only just starting to hit his peak.

There isn’t much, soccer-wise, but there have been connections outside sports for centuries. France was the first ally of the British colonies that declared independence in 1776. Benjamin Franklin led the diplomatic effort, and, in 1778, France signed the Treaty of Alliance to give its official backing.

In the early 20th century, French architect Paul Philippe Cret designed the Benjamin Franklin Parkway, modeled on Paris’ famed Avenue des Champs-Élysées. Cret also designed the bridge named in Franklin’s honor and helped renovate Rittenhouse Square into what’s now Philly’s best-known city park.

If you’re an art fan, Philly has two of the world’s largest collections of works by famed French artists: painter Pierre-Auguste Renoir at the Barnes Foundation, and the Rodin museum for sculptor Auguste Rodin. Fans walking from Center City to the World Cup fan fest on Lemon Hill will pass by both on the Parkway.

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Philly and the surrounding area claims a cherished legacy of great French restaurants — Le Bec-Fin being chief among them — but food writer Beatrice Forman recommends Supérette, a new-school but extremely legit entry to the city’s Gallic scene.

This all-day French wine bar has perfected the art of the “sip-and-nibble” with a menu of compulsively snackable light bites that range from a sheet of tiny raviolis stuffed with comté to a sandwich on pinsa bread (focaccia’s thinner sister) layered with potato chips and customizable charcuterie boards.

The space is divided down the middle into a casual yet effortlessly trendy bar and an épicerie that sells a curated mix of meat, cheeses, prepared goods, and imported French snacks. Who’s to say you can’t enjoy a baguette straight from the bread bag at a soccer game? 📍1538 E. Passyunk Ave., superettephl.com

» READ MORE: Check out the Inquirer's curated list of the 76 best restaurants in the Philly area

The best way to navigate getting to the stadium area where the games will be held is via SEPTA, the city’s public transportation system. The network has its own app and is fully integrated into apps, including Google Maps, Apple Maps, Transit, and CityMapper.

Whether you’re coming in by way of Philadelphia’s international airport or its main train hub, William H. Gray III 30th Street Station, it’s easy to get around Philly’s Center City district and other neighborhoods by bus, train, or trolley.

Don’t feel like figuring out all the schedules? Taxis or ride shares via Uber or Lyft also are quick and convenient options.