France Boasts a Rich Scoring Depth Other World Cup Teams Only Dream of

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
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France Boasts a Rich Scoring Depth Other World Cup Teams Only Dream of

Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)
Real Madrid's French forward #10 Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring the 2-3 goal with his teammates during the UEFA Champions League quarter-final second leg football match between FC Bayern Munich and Real Madrid in Munich, southern Germany, on April 15, 2026. (AFP)

France will have rich depth in attack at the World Cup.

About a billion dollars' worth.

That's the estimated total value of the attacking players France is expected to bring to the tournament, from two-time World Cup final scoring sensation Kylian Mbappe to rising star Desire Doue.

For coach Didier Deschamps the headache is not about who to choose, but who to leave out of his starting lineup for France's World Cup opener against Senegal on June 16.

He has a huge amount of talent to complement the prolific scoring of Mbappe, who is enjoying another prolific season with Real Madrid and needs one more goal to tie Olivier Giroud as France's all-time leading scorer with 57 goals.

There's the speed and finishing of Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele; the clinical scoring and exquisite passing of Michael Olise; the maverick skill of the technically gifted Rayan Cherki; or the fleet-footed runs of fellow newcomer Maghnes Akliouche.

According to estimates from soccer website transfermarkt and the CIES Football Observatory, which take into account the remaining time on a players' contract, France's 10 attacking players are worth 855 million euros, which is a fraction over $1 billion.

Here's a look at the top players.

Mbappe tops the list

Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar leads the way at 200 million euros ($236 million).

Mbappe is followed by the Bayern Munich star Olise at 140 million euros. The London-born Olise's form has been scintillating for Bundesliga champion Bayern with 18 goals and 25 assists in 44 games.

The 20-year-old Doue has three years left on his PSG contract and is valued at around 115 million compared to 100 million euros for Dembélé, who has two years left to run at PSG and is eight years older.

Their goal-scoring PSG teammate Bradley Barcola — who starred against Chelsea in the Champions League — comes in next at 70 million euros, followed by Cherki at 65 million.

Cherki's value could rise

Cherki first caught the eye six years ago when he was 16, scoring twice in a French Cup game for Lyon. He has entered a new dimension since joining Manchester City in the offseason for what is now looking like a bargain fee of 36 million euros. He scored a fine solo goal against Arsenal in their Premier League table-topping clash on Sunday.

His ability to create goals with his intuitive passing have surprised even City coach Pep Guardiola — who worked alongside two of the world's finest passers in Lionel Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona — and Cherki's value could rocket if he does well at the World Cup.

Akliouche scored in both legs for Monaco against PSG in a closely-contested Champions League playoff and his galloping runs from deep make him hard to track. He is also capable of brilliant individual goals, scoring a superb overhead kick for Monaco last season.

He is valued at 50 million euros along with Inter Milan forward Marcus Thuram, who has hit form in recent weeks as Inter closes in on the Serie A title.

Thuram adds to France's attacking options thanks to his heading ability, a strong point shared by Jean-Philippe Mateta.

The imposing striker is a consistent scorer for Premier League side Crystal Palace and has netted two goals in three appearances for Les Bleus.

Mateta is expected to join a bigger club next season and is valued at 35 million euros, ahead of former PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani. He is on loan at Tottenham and, although he has lost form, he would likely fetch 30 million if PSG sold him.

Kolo Muani almost wrote his name into World Cup history in 2022, but missed a chance right at the end of extra time in the final, which France lost on penalties to Argentina despite a hat-trick from Mbappe.



Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
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Portugal Changes How No. 7 Is Written to Honor Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)
Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo celebrates after scoring the 1-2 goal during the FIFA World Cup qualifying match against Hungary, in Budapest, Hungary, 09 September 2025. (EPA)

The Portugal football team is making a change to how the No. 7 is written to honor the recently-retired Cristiano Ronaldo.

Ronaldo, who wore the number and went on to make it his own as “CR7,” retired from international soccer last week, ending a remarkable career that spanned six World Cups, a European title, and the men’s all-time international scoring record.

“Time to debut a new 7. Because there’s one that will be eternal,” the Portuguese national team wrote on social media on Saturday. The post included a goat emoji to signify “Greatest Of All Time.”

It also included a video that showed a horizontal crossed line through the No. 7 as it’s commonly written in Europe, suggesting that Ronaldo’s successors will all have that cross to bear when they wear the number.

Portugal, already assured of reaching the quarterfinals, was hosting Denmark in the Nations League later Saturday.

The 41-year-old Ronaldo quit on Nov. 5 after falling out with coach Jorge Jesus. His last appearance with Portugal was Sept. 24 in a 1-0 home win over Wales in the Nations League.

Jesus kept him on the bench for the following match and said he didn’t plan to start him in the next one, so the superstar forward decided to leave the team’s training camp.

Jesus later said Ronaldo would be welcome back and the decision to return was up to him.


Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
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Ronaldinho Poised for Ravenna Start and, Perhaps, One Last Goal

Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)
Brazilian football legend Ronaldinho waves during Ravenna FC’s team presentation for the 2026-27 season in Marina di Ravenna, Italy, Aug. 20, 2026. (AFP)

Ronaldinho will roll back the years this weekend when the 46-year-old Brazilian starts his first competitive match in over a decade, and in the unlikely setting of an Italian third-tier derby the World Cup winner may realize his dream of scoring one last time.

The Brazil great and Ballon d'Or winner signed for Ravenna in June, also taking a stake in the club, but because he had not played since his final appearance for Fluminense in 2015, doubts remained over whether fans would ever see him in action.

Ravenna revealed ‌three weeks ago ‌that the former Barcelona and AC Milan player ‌would ⁠make his return ⁠in Sunday's home clash with local rivals Forli, and on Friday, manager Andrea Mandorlini told reporters that Ronaldinho would start the match.

"He will play from the start, there's no doubt," Mandorlini said.

"Then together we will decide how long he plays. He is one of the greatest players of the modern era. And we have to get a ⁠result. We always play with three forwards. He will ‌be one of the three."

Ronaldinho was ‌welcomed by the Ravenna fans in August, without committing to a return ‌to the pitch. He returned to Italy on Friday afternoon and ‌will have just one training session with his teammates on Saturday before making his club debut.

A temporary stand has been erected at the Stadio Bruno Benelli to cater for the crowd, and if this does turn out ‌to be one last hurrah for Ronaldinho, he may well get the chance to score his 300th ⁠professional goal.

"I ⁠scored my first Italian goal in the derby," Ronaldinho told Corriere della Sera, referring to his first official goal for AC Milan, which came against Inter Milan.

"It was a special evening that will remain in the memory of all AC Milan fans. It was September 28, 2008. I scored with a header, which is not my specialty. Who knows if I'll be able to repeat that feat tomorrow."

"... Returning to the pitch at 46 is the best move of my career."

Simone Rabbi will play alongside the Brazilian up front for Ravenna, and in Friday's press conference he said that if his side are awarded a penalty on Sunday, Ronaldinho will take the spot kick.


Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
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Andreeva Says She Is Learning to Move on Faster from Defeats After WTA Finals Sweep

Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)
Mirra Andreeva plays Diana Shnaider during day six of the FAGE WTA Finals at Indian Wells Tennis Garden on November 13, 2026 in Indian Wells, California. (Getty Images/AFP)

Mirra Andreeva said she has learned to recover more quickly from setbacks after the Russian teenager completed an unbeaten run through the WTA Finals round-robin stage on Friday.

Andreeva won her third group-stage match in straight sets after a late opponent change, having already secured a semi-final berth. The 19-year-old said the match against tournament alternate Diana Shnaider presented a new mental challenge because her progression was guaranteed, but she still wanted to preserve her momentum.

"Before the tournament started I was afraid ‌that I ‌wouldn't win a match in the group," ‌Andreeva ⁠told reporters. "Now you ⁠see how it turned out."

The victory set up a first career meeting with American Jessica Pegula on Saturday. Andreeva described Pegula as one of the calmest players on tour and said coach Conchita Martinez would help prepare a detailed tactical plan.

Andreeva's poise in the desert marked a contrast with her emotional ⁠exit from Indian Wells in March, when ‌she lost her title defense ‌to Katerina Siniakova. Frustrated by the defeat, Andreeva launched into a profanity-laced ‌tirade toward spectators and was booed as she left ‌the court.

The French Open champion said her response to losses has changed significantly over the course of the season.

"Before it was super bad. I was very dramatic," Andreeva said. "It would take me a ‌good two, three days. I wouldn't talk to anybody. I would just sit in the ⁠room locked ⁠up, not wanting to practice."

Now, she said, disappointment generally lasts a day at most before the demands of the tour force her attention back to training or the next match.

Andreeva said the Indian Wells setback came while she was trying to incorporate changes made in practice into her match play, which produced inconsistency and frustration. She said continued work on court, along with sessions with psychologists, helped her make progress.

The results have followed. Andreeva won her first Grand Slam title at Roland Garros this year and arrived at the WTA Finals for her singles debut after a 50-win season.