World Cup 2026: N’Golo Kante is still crucial for France – Olivier Giroud

Like I said before, balance was so important to our success in Russia. I described our France team then as ‘complete’ because we had flair but also we were solid.

Is this France team the same? We will have to wait to find out.

All the components are there but will it all come together on the pitch? They have got everything they need, in defence, midfield and attack, but now they just need to write their story, their history.

We have done our part, in 2018. Now they need to do theirs.

It is a new generation and they are so talented – but with that comes so much expectation, and pressure too. And in football, anything can happen.

At the 2002 World Cup, we arrived as the holders and the European champions. We had an amazing team but our tournament was a mess and we did not make the knockout stage.

The first game is always very important. It does not matter that much how you play – in 2018 we needed a lucky goal to beat Australia – but the important thing was that we won.

This time we begin against the same team we lost to at the start of that 2002 World Cup, Senegal.

We know them well and we know we will have to start strongly to beat them on Tuesday. Next is Iraq, and we should win that, but we will need to have six points before we play Norway, who are a dangerous underdog for me, so there is not too much pressure on us then.

It is a tricky group and while one win is probably enough for us to get through in third place if we needed it, come on – we all know France needs to do much more than that.

We need to finish top, to set the pace, make a statement and find the level we will need later on. Our journey starts now, and I can’t wait.

Olivier Giroud was speaking to BBC Sport’s Chris Bevan