Football fans and analysts rarely find themselves in agreement, but on one point there is little debate: France, at least so far, have been the finest and most spectacular side at the World Cup in North America. A team built on extraordinary attacking talent, on individual quality, but also on the movements, combinations and instincts that turn that talent into chances and goals. All of it represents a form of capital. Technical, certainly. But also commercial, and therefore economic. L’Équipe has gathered some revealing figures. Through their victories and their exhilarating football, Didier Deschamps’ side have captured the imagination of France — and far beyond it. The signs are everywhere. The second shirt worn at the World Cup is already sold out, aside from the largest sizes. The same is true in the United States, where the kits worn by Mbappé and his teammates rank among the most popular on the market, including the training versions. So much so that, in the event of a final victory, further supplies have already been prepared.
The television numbers tell a similar story. World Cup matches broadcast on M6 have attracted remarkable audiences: the opening game against Senegal drew 14 million viewers, while the quarter-final against Morocco peaked at 18.1 million, with a share above 91 per cent among 15-to-34-year-olds. The performances of Les Bleus have turned the tournament into a national event. The figures from social media are no less striking. The official accounts of the French national team have produced and published more than 3,000 pieces of content, generating over 4.5 billion views, 300 million interactions and six million new followers. Across all platforms connected to Les Bleus, the total now stands at 67 million followers, including 19.7 million on TikTok and 18.8 million on Instagram. No national team at this World Cup reaches those heights. Not even Brazil — “stuck” at 53 million followers — despite a historic appeal and commercial reach that have long placed the Seleção above the rest. With that kind of influence, it was inevitable that traditional media would follow. According to L’Équipe, newspapers from Japan, England, the Czech Republic, the United States and Brazil have all requested access to the team. It is not a coincidence. It was never going to be.