France captain Hugo Lloris reckons England are poised to win a major tournament, though he will do everything in his power to ensure that does not happen in Qatar.
England face France in a World Cup quarter-final on Saturday at Al Bayt Stadium.
It will be the third World Cup meeting between the Three Lions and Les Bleus, with the England winning both of the previous two, a 2-0 victory in 1966 and 3-1 in 1982.
World champions France have only lost one of their past eight meetings with England, suffering a 2-0 defeat in a friendly in November 2015.
With England having reached the semi-finals in Russia and then the final of Euro 2020 last year, Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris, who will be tasked with keeping out an attack that has scored 12 goals in four games in Qatar, knows they must be treated as a major contender.
"To be honest, if we compare both sides there were more English players In Russia than French players," Lloris said in a press conference when asked if France's triumph in Russia gave them the edge.
"If you look at the England squad there were finalists and runners-up at the Euros and a real progression.
"Their team is mature and ready to compete and go for trophies. They were unlucky at the Euros, they came very close.
"For our side there has been a lot of changes, a new generation that are ready to compete, they play in the best teams in Europe, but we have a good mixture of experience and younger players.
"We try to become stronger step by step and we have to be ready to challenge England. It's going to be a big battle."
Didier Deschamps was also complimentary of France's opponents and believes Gareth Southgate is unfairly maligned by some sections of the British media.
"They don't have any," Deschamps replied when asked what weaknesses England have that France could exploit.
"You talk about the British media but you [the French press] also ask tough questions of the team sometimes. All teams have strengths, not many of them have too many weaknesses, just some slightly less strong points.
"I very much like Gareth, we've met on a number of occasions, talked about a number of things. It seems not everyone appreciates him so much in his own country.
"That’s not because he's not a good footballer, he had a distinguished career, and he's also a very good coach. He's enabled England to get some very good results, I very much like him."
France are not overly dependent on Kylian Mbappe, according to head coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappe has been in sparkling form at the Qatar World Cup and is the top scorer in the competition with five goals from four appearances.
The 23-year-old's double in the last-16 win over Poland has taken his tally of World Cup goals to nine, as many as Lionel Messi and more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
World champions France are unbeaten in the 13 games Mbappe has started in major competitions – outside of penalty shoot-outs – and will be hoping that record continues against England at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
Deschamps dismissed the idea France rely too heavily on the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has now scored 250 goals for club and country.
"I'm sure England will have prepared to face Kylian as our previous opponents did, but he's in a position to make the difference," Deschamps said in a press conference.
"Even in the last match, he didn't show his top form, but he was still decisive.
"We have other players that can be dangerous as well, so that helps us not be over-dependent on Kylian.
"But Kylian is Kylian, and he has that capacity to make the difference in any moment."
A major talking point in the build-up to the game has been the match-up between Mbappe and England right-back Kyle Walker, who could play either in a back four or a back five in order to combat the France forward's threat.
France captain Hugo Lloris played with Walker at Tottenham and said Mbappe is putting the talk to one side.
"I think Kylian is preparing very well. Trying to ignore a lot of the talk about him, it's really not something he needs," he said.
"He's very focused on his objectives, individually and collectively. He seems very happy, playing with a smile on his face and seems very focused on the match ahead of us.
"That's how he's looked from the beginning of this tournament."
While the focus will be on Mbappe at one end of the pitch, England captain Harry Kane – who won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 – could be decisive at the other, having scored his first goal of the tournament in the Three Lions' 3-0 defeat of Senegal in the round of 16.
"I only have positive things to say about Harry, he's very important for the team, club and for England as well," Lloris said of his Spurs team-mate.
"A real leader, an example for his team-mates, and he's a top player.
"Harry's someone who is known all over the world – not sure I can add too much to what is known. Our focus will be on representing our countries."
France head coach Didier Deschamps suggested talking about the death of a World Cup migrant worker during the tournament is "disrespectful" to the deceased's family.
A report in The Athletic on Wednesday claimed a Filipino man thought to be in his early 40s died while working at the base of the Saudi Arabia team during the group stage.
Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater extraordinarily responded to the news a day later by saying "death is a natural part of life" as he was left irritated by the topic being brought up during "a successful World Cup".
It was seen as particularly noteworthy in the media due to the broader context of worker deaths in the lead up to the World Cup.
Amnesty International in 2021 published a report citing official Qatari data in which the organisation claimed 15,021 migrants died in the country "in the past 10 years". There was no suggestion all were connected to the World Cup.
Such reports helped to shine a light on the conditions of migrant workers in Qatar, and some of the teams involved in the World Cup have been forthright on the matter, with England's Football Association applying pressure on FIFA on the eve of the tournament regarding the rights of labourers.
But Deschamps was uncomfortable with the subject being broached in his pre-match press conference ahead of France's quarter-final against England on Saturday, adamant players do not have the influence to help fix problems outside of the sport.
"Well, it's always a sensitive topic, it's not something I want to talk about at length. I just learned about [the latest death] and want to express my sincere condolences to the family," he said.
"It might be a priority for [the media], but my priority is the match; we're in a tournament. That doesn't mean we are insensitive to what goes on outside football, but we shouldn't mix everything up.
"The French players took certain decisions. What else would you like me to say? You asked a question but knew what I was going to reply.
"I'm not trying to avoid the question. I'm here with my team, we're footballers and here for a football tournament.
"Footballers unfortunately are not in a position to resolve problems outside football. This is more than a problem, it's someone who's lost their life.
"Maybe you think talking about this is respectful, but talking about him is not going to help. I think for his family, the pain and suffering they're going through, this could be disrespectful, too."
Former Liverpool captain Steven Gerrard has hailed England midfielder Jordan Henderson for his "immaculate" World Cup performances.
Henderson was not named in the starting line-up for the Three Lions' opening two group games, but has made a big impression after featuring from the outset in the Group B closer against Wales and the last-16 triumph over Senegal.
The Liverpool midfielder scored the opener against Senegal, becoming his country's second-oldest scorer in the finals aged 32 years and 170 days, after Tom Finney against USSR in 1958 - at 36 years and 64 days.
Gerrard has been impressed with his former Reds team-mate's leadership qualities and believes his contribution can sometimes be undervalued.
"Obviously being an England fan I'm following England and Jordan from a personal point of view. I think he's been immaculate, both on and off the pitch," Gerrard told Liverpoolfc.com.
"His last performance he was obviously man of the match, very well deserved, and he shut a few critics up that for some reason seem to point fingers at Jordan.
"Being a midfielder, being around Jordan on the daily basis, to see the sacrifices, his dedication and what he puts into his own preparation, the hard work that he puts in, I'm not surprised that he's putting in this level of performance and I'm delighted for him.
"But it seems as if a lot of people outside the LFC family don't need an invite to point a finger towards him so I'm delighted that he has shut a few up."
Asked what attributes Henderson brings to the England midfield, Gerrard added: "Experience would be the most important thing.
"I think England have got a lot of young, exciting talent, but you need experienced players that positionally give these younger players licence to go and cause a lot of damage.
"I think Jordan, what he's found in that performance is a typical Jordan Henderson performance where he is solid, his A to Bs are all really good, positionally he is bang on, but at the right time he joins in and gets himself forward.
"He's a really strong runner and his timing for the goal and his execution of the goal was world-class and it was the perfect all-round performance, so credit to him."
Henderson will be hoping to start again alongside Jude Bellingham and Declan Rice in midfield when England take on France in a mouthwatering quarter-final on Saturday.
France are not overly dependent on Kylian Mbappe, according to head coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappe has been in sparkling form at the Qatar World Cup and is the top scorer in the competition with five goals from four appearances.
The 23-year-old's double in the last-16 win over Poland has taken his tally of World Cup goals to nine, as many as Lionel Messi and more than Cristiano Ronaldo.
World champions France are unbeaten in the 13 games Mbappe has started in major competitions – outside of penalty shoot-outs – and will be hoping that record continues against England at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.
Deschamps dismissed the idea France rely too heavily on the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has now scored 250 goals for club and country.
"I'm sure England will have prepared to face Kylian as our previous opponents did, but he's in a position to make the difference," Deschamps said in a press conference.
"Even in the last match, he didn't show his top form, but he was still decisive.
"We have other players that can be dangerous as well, so that helps us not be over-dependent on Kylian.
"But Kylian is Kylian, and he has that capacity to make the difference in any moment."
A major talking point in the build-up to the game has been the match-up between Mbappe and England right-back Kyle Walker, who could play either in a back four or a back five in order to combat the France forward's threat.
France captain Hugo Lloris played with Walker at Tottenham and said Mbappe is putting the talk to one side.
"I think Kylian is preparing very well. Trying to ignore a lot of the talk about him, it's really not something he needs," he said.
"He's very focused on his objectives, individually and collectively. He seems very happy, playing with a smile on his face and seems very focused on the match ahead of us.
"That's how he's looked from the beginning of this tournament."
While the focus will be on Mbappe at one end of the pitch, England captain Harry Kane – who won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 – could be decisive at the other, having scored his first goal of the tournament in the Three Lions' 3-0 defeat of Senegal in the round of 16.
"I only have positive things to say about Harry, he's very important for the team, club and for England as well," Lloris said of his Spurs team-mate.
"A real leader, an example for his team-mates, and he's a top player.
"Harry's someone who is known all over the world – not sure I can add too much to what is known. Our focus will be on representing our countries."
Argentina and the Netherlands clash for a sixth time at the World Cup on Friday.
They are familiar foes having been regular opponents over the years, featuring in some memorable games, a couple of forgettable ones and a hugely controversial encounter in 1978.
The winners of this quarter-final will take on Croatia or Brazil in the last four.
Here, Stats Perform looks back at the previous World Cup meetings between Argentina and the Netherlands.
Netherlands 4-0 Argentina – June 26, 1974
The 1974 World Cup saw the most one-sided clash between the pair with Rinus Michels' wonderful Netherlands side steamrolling Argentina.
Playing at their first World Cup in 36 years, the Dutch coasted through the first group stage while Argentina had to rely on a 4-1 defeat of whipping boys Haiti to advance.
That set up a second group phase meeting in which the gulf in class was quickly apparent - Johan Cruyff and Ruud Krol putting the Netherlands 2-0 up by half-time. Second-half goals from Johnny Rep and Cruyff finished the job for Michels' men, who reached the final only to lose 2-1 to West Germany.
Argentina 3-1 Netherlands (after extra time) – June 25, 1978
It was no surprise that Argentina triumphed on home soil in 1978 – a World Cup riddled with accusations of corruption and intimidation.
Following a military coup in 1976, the governing National Reorganisation Process were desperate for international legitimacy and saw the World Cup as the perfect opportunity to achieve it.
Accusations of refereeing bias accompanied their matches in the first group phase and they qualified in second behind Italy.
The second group phase was even more controversial. Needing to beat Peru by four goals in their final match to reach the final at the expense of arch-rivals Brazil, Argentina won 6-0.
In the final, they met a Netherlands side shorn of Cruyff, who had opted to remain at home, although he denied it was on political grounds.
A bad-tempered game that was delayed by Argentina being late to enter the field went into extra-time after Dick Nanninga cancelled out Mario Kempes' first-half opener.
Kempes, who finished as the tournament's leading scorer, restored Argentina's lead in the 105th minute and a third from Daniel Bertoni secured Argentina's first World Cup crown.
Netherlands 2-1 Argentina – July 4, 1998
Both teams advanced to the round of 16 by winning their groups, although they found their next assignments more difficult. The Netherlands edged past Yugoslavia 2-1 while Argentina required penalties to overcome England following a pulsating 2-2 draw.
That set up a quarter-final that will live long in the memory.
On a steamy day in Marseille, the likes of Dennis Bergkamp, Jaap Stam and Edgar Davids went head to head with Gabriel Batistuta, Diego Simeone and Javier Zanetti.
Patrick Kluivert gave the Dutch a 12th-minute lead only for Claudio Lopez to equalise five minutes later. Neither side could land another blow until the dying seconds when Frank de Boer's raking pass picked out Bergkamp and, after controlling the ball instantly, he stepped inside Roberto Ayala and fired high into the net.
The Netherlands advanced to the semi-finals where they lost to Brazil on penalties after a 1-1 draw.
Netherlands 0-0 Argentina – June 21, 2006
With both teams having already qualified from Group C, this was nothing more than a joust for top spot. Several first-choice players were left out by respective coaches Jose Pekerman and Marco van Basten, rested for the tests to come.
Argentina came closest in a hard-fought encounter, Juan Roman Riquelme's free-kick hitting the post after deflecting off Khalid Boulahrouz.
The South Americans topped the group and went on to beat Mexico 2-1 in extra-time in the round of 16 before bowing out to tournament hosts Germany in the quarter-finals in a penalty shoot-out.
As for the Dutch, they lost 1-0 to Portugal in the round of 16.
Netherlands 0-0 Argentina (Argentina win 4-2 on penalties) – July 9, 2014
Netherlands topped their group and accounted for Mexico and Costa Rica, albeit the latter via a penalty shoot-out, to reach the last four.
Argentina also made light work of the pool stage and advanced thanks to 1-0 wins over Switzerland (after extra-time) and Belgium to set up a clash with the Dutch.
An eagerly-awaited clash turned into a damp squib, however, with neither side showing any attacking fluency.
The Dutch had brought penalty specialist Tim Krul off the bench deep into extra-time against Costa Rica, and promptly watched him save two spot-kicks.
Against Argentina, coach Louis van Gaal had already made his three substitutions, meaning Jasper Cillessen had to stay between the sticks. He didn't save any while Ron Vlaar and Wesley Sneijder missed to send Argentina into the final for the first time since 1990.
Spain have made further changes to their coaching set-up by replacing Jose Molina with Albert Luque as their new sporting director.
La Roja announced head coach Luis Enrique's departure earlier on Thursday, two days after losing to Morocco on penalties in the World Cup last 16.
Luis de la Fuente, who has had success at Under-19 and Under-21 level, as well as winning a silver medal at the Beijing Olympics last year, is set to take over next week.
Molina is the latest high-profile figure to leave his role, with the Royal Spanish Football Federation (RFEF) confirming he will not be renewing his contract in January 2023.
Luque will take up the position of sports director, while Francis Hernandez will work alongside the former Spain international.
Spain twice reached the Nations League Finals and the semi-finals of Euro 2020 during Molina's four years in the job.
The 2010 world champions are next in action at the end of March with opening Euro 2024 qualifiers against Norway and Scotland.
Jurrien Timber is not shaking at the prospect of facing Lionel Messi but says it will be a "great challenge".
Netherlands defender Timber will be tasked with trying to stop arguably the best footballer in the world on Friday when Louis van Gaal's side take on Argentina in the World Cup quarter-finals.
Messi has scored three goals at Qatar 2022 and gave a virtuoso display as Argentina edged out Australia 2-1 on Saturday.
Keeping the Paris Saint-Germain star quiet will be key to the Netherlands' chances of progressing to the semi-finals but Timber is up for the challenge.
Sitting alongside fellow defender Nathan Ake, he said: "Am I getting the shakes [at the prospect of facing him]? Fortunately not.
"It’s a great challenge to play against him. Messi is a fantastic footballer, but we aren't just playing against Messi and we don't have to solve it with the two of us.
"We're going to do that with the team."
Ake added: "It's very difficult to stop him. He's probably the best player in the world but we have to be wary of several players."
Another key man in the Dutch defence is captain Virgil van Dijk and he also felt it would be foolhardy to train all their focus on Messi.
He said: "They have a good team with many players that can decide the match.
"But it's not the Netherlands against Messi, it's the Netherlands against Argentina. I have a lot of respect for Messi, who, like Cristiano Ronaldo, has been among the best in football for so long. He deserves special attention but they also have Julian Alvarez, he has a bright future ahead of him at Manchester City and Argentina. But hopefully not in two days, here in Qatar."
The main question for Argentina coach Lionel Scaloni is whether to start again with a 4-3-3 formation or switch to the 3-5-2 they finished with against Australia.
If it's the former, it may see a return to the starting line-up for Angel Di Maria, if he can prove his fitness. If Scaloni opts for a three-man defence, then Lisandro Martinez will be included at the expense of Papu Gomez.
PLAYERS TO WATCH
Netherlands – Memphis Depay
Depay has been the Netherlands' creative hub, not just in Qatar, but for many months.
The Barcelona attacker has been involved in 34 goals in his last 30 appearances for Netherlands in all competitions, scoring 24 and assisting 10.
Argentina – Julian Alvarez
Having started the tournament behind Lautaro Martinez, Alvarez has emerged as the main foil for Lionel Messi.
Alvarez has scored in each of his two World Cup starts. Only three Argentina players have scored in their first three; Guillermo Stabile in 1930, Oreste Corbatta in 1958 and Hernan Crespo in 2006. If he starts and scores in this match, at 22 years and 312 days of age, he'd be the youngest to score in his first three World Cup starts since Peru's Teofilo Cubillas in 1970 (21y 94d).
PREDICTION
Argentina are a 44.2 per cent chance to emerge victorious and progress to the semi-finals, according to Stats Perform's AI computer.
The Netherlands are rated at 27.1 per cent chance with a draw coming in at 28.7 per cent.
Cristiano Ronaldo must understand "time passes for everyone" and accept he may no longer be a regular pick for Portugal, former Brazil defender Junior has told Stats Perform.
Free agent Ronaldo has fallen out of favour at club and now international level, having been named among the substitutes for Portugal's 6-1 win over Switzerland on Tuesday.
The five-time Ballon d'Or winner is also currently without a club after his contract with Manchester United, where he struggled for playing time, was terminated by mutual consent.
Ronaldo's replacement, Benfica youngster Goncalo Ramos, scored a hat-trick against Switzerland and is now set to keep his place for Saturday's quarter-final tie with Morocco.
Junior, who earned 74 caps for Brazil and appeared at two World Cups, believes Portugal boss Fernando Santos deserves praise for his huge selection call.
"You need to have the courage to put Cristiano Ronaldo on the bench and the coach did," Junior said.
"And there was the answer he got - it was Goncalo Ramos scoring three goals. It's not just for the goals, but for his collective behaviour, I'm talking about the game as a whole.
"Time passes for everyone. Naturally, Cristiano will understand this in the best way so that he can continue to have the great respect that the group has for him.
"He is the main player of the Portuguese national team for the last 10 years. Just look at everything the Portuguese team did before and after. But time passes for everyone."
Portugal are joined in the last eight of Qatar 2022 by next opponents Morocco, Argentina, the Netherlands, Brazil, Croatia, France and England.
Record five-time champions Brazil, who beat South Korea 4-1 in the last 16, remain the favourites of many to end their 20-year drought and lift the trophy once again.
Richarlison has arguably been Brazil's best player so far in Qatar, the Tottenham man's three goals placing him joint-second in the goalscoring charts behind Kylian Mbappe.
He has led the line in three of Brazil's four games, the exception being the loss to Cameroon when Tite heavily rotated, and Junior has been impressed by the versatile forward.
"Richarlison rebuilt himself within the national team because he was a player who had much more visibility playing on the wings previously," Junior said.
"When we see him playing the role of centre-forward, we see that he has recovered and is now in the starting line-up.
"On the sides of the pitch, it'd be difficult for him with Vinicius Junior, Raphinha and Neymar who also play there. So, he started to evolve exactly in that centre-forward position.
"The goal he scored with a volley in the first game is from a player who has great capacity and great resources when a situation like that presents itself."
Tite has made full use of his squad, so much so that he has already used all 26 members of his group – the most ever fielded by a team at a single World Cup.
The Brazil head coach brought on third-choice goalkeeper Weverton against South Korea to complete the set, which Junior says offers an insight into Tite's character.
"As happened in 2006 with Rogerio Ceni, Tite has done the same with Weverton. He's made sure he not only travels to the World Cup but is also on the pitch.
"This type of attitude strengths the group a lot. It's one of Tite's most important qualities: valuing the whole squad, including the third keeper, who rarely plays at a World Cup."
Tyson Fury issued a warning to Cristiano Ronaldo, insisting "no matter who you are, age will get you eventually".
The Portugal captain, who entered the World Cup fresh from his acrimonious departure from Manchester United, has scored just once in four appearances in Qatar.
That goal came from the penalty spot against Ghana in his nation's opening match.
Having been criticised by head coach Fernando Santos for his reaction to being substituted during the Group H clash with South Korea, Ronaldo was then dropped for Portugal's comprehensive 6-1 victory over Switzerland in the last 16.
After being left out of the starting line-up, A Selecao have subsequently strongly denied reports the 37-year-old threatened to quit the squad during what is likely to be his swansong at the finals.
Fury - the WBC heavyweight champion and a lifelong United fan - insisted he empathises with Ronaldo, who he feels is no longer at the peak of his powers.
The undefeated boxer drew comparisons with his iconic victory over Wladimir Klitschko in 2015.
"At the time, beating Klitschko was the Everest," Fury told talkSPORT.
"I was the heavy underdog, people thought I was going to get smashed to pieces, and he was the unified champion for 11 years and at some point, he thought he was unbeatable.
"But I went over to Germany and beat him. In this game, it's not about how much better somebody is than the other person.
"A lot of it has to do with natural stuff, like age, and at 38 years old, you are on the decline - whether you want to admit it or not.
"If you look at Cristiano Ronaldo, he's 37 years old, he's had the best doctors, the best physiotherapists - he's lived like an egg in Mr Kipling's cake.
"But even Ronaldo is on the slide now.
"So even someone who has looked after himself like that, it catches up to you - so, imagine a boxer who has been punched to pieces for the last 20 years!
"The age factor will not wait for anybody, no matter how you've lived.
"Whether you've never had a drink in your life, if you've never run on any hard surfaces, no matter who you are, age will get you eventually."
Ronaldo will hope to be reinstated to the starting line-up when Portugal face Morocco in the quarter-finals on Saturday, with his team aiming to reach the semi-finals for only the third time.
Luis Enrique is "sorry" after Spain's early exit at the 2022 World Cup led to him leaving his position as head coach on Thursday.
After a goalless 90 minutes and extra-time period against Morocco on Tuesday, 2010 champions Spain were dumped out on penalties in a huge shock.
Luis Enrique's contract was due to expire at the end of the tournament in Qatar, and the Royal Football Federation (RFEF) confirmed on Thursday he would not stay on as head coach.
The RFEF subsequently announced Luis de la Fuente is set to take over the role, having previously been in charge of Spain's Under-21 side.
In a statement released on Thursday, Luis Enrique spoke of his gratitude to those who had helped him in his time as Spain boss, while imploring supporters to get behind De La Fuente.
"It all started four years ago and how fast time has passed," Luis Enrique said in a Twitter post.
"I can only be super grateful to those who signed me twice (president Rubiales and sports director Molina), to all the RFEF employees with whom we share experiences of all kinds, of course, to the players who have been exemplary in their behaviour and faithful to the idea raised.
"I'm sorry I couldn't help you more.
"It has been very special to be a part of this.
"Last but not least, to the fans who have uniformly conveyed their support to us at all times and especially in the most delicate ones.
"It's time to say goodbye and in these cases just a little reflection... what the team needs is support in all its meaning so that Luis de la Fuente achieves everything he wants."
France are struggling to see how Kyle Walker will stop Kylian Mbappe running rampant in Saturday's World Cup showdown with England.
The tussle down the French left has been characterised as the key battleground ahead of the quarter-final at Al Bayt Stadium.
Mbappe's electric pace, sublime dribbling skills and eye for goal have made him the standout player at the finals so far, and the leading scorer with five goals.
Manchester City right-back Walker is the oldest player in the England squad, but the 32-year-old is also said to be the quickest. As such, it falls kindly for manager Gareth Southgate that Walker should naturally be the man to keep an eye on Mbappe.
Walker said on Wednesday that stopping Mbappe will be "easier said than done", but he added: "I'm not going to roll out a red carpet for him and tell him to score."
France defender Youssouf Fofana will reluctantly applaud Walker if he keeps Mbappe quiet.
He pointed to French Ligue 1 clubs having previously all set out with game plans to handle the Paris Saint-Germain frontman, only to have those blown out of the water by the 23-year-old's sheer brilliance.
"It's all to his credit if he knows how to stop Kylian, but 19 other teams in Ligue 1 are still waiting for the solution," Fofana said at a France press conference on Thursday.
"The truth is out there, we'll see what happens. We have confidence in Kylian."
Fofana described England and France as being "quite close in terms of culture" and said Southgate's side possessed "incredible" individuals.
"We've seen it since the Euros, they're constantly progressing. It will be a great match," said the 23-year-old Monaco player.
As a teenager, with his career in limbo after leaving the French national football academy at Clairefontaine, Fofana delivered pizzas for a living while trying to forage for a way forward in his preferred career.
He needed to earn a crust, but doors soon began to open as Strasbourg gave him an opportunity, before Monaco came calling almost three years ago.
"When you leave Clairefontaine, there are doubts," Fofana said of that time in his life. "When there are doubts you have to move forward. You need money, I had to make some. It was the best way to do that while trying to follow my dreams."
Declan Rice is fit to play for England against France in their World Cup quarter-final, Three Lions team-mate Kalvin Phillips confirmed.
Rice missed England's training session on Wednesday because of illness, sparking fears over his ability to play against the reigning world champions on Saturday.
But Phillips, who formed a vital partnership with Rice in England's route to the Euro 2020 final, allayed any worries over the West Ham midfielder's availability.
"I believe Dec [Rice] is fit," Phillips told reporters at his pre-match news conference. "He's back in training and he's fine."
After playing such a vital role at the European Champions last year, Phillips has played just 40 minutes off the bench in Qatar, in part due to only recently returning from shoulder surgery.
However, Phillips insists he is ready to fill in if Rice does experience any problems against France, saying: "If something goes wrong then I'll be there and I'll do my best to be fit for 90 minutes.
"I want to play as many minutes as possible. Regardless of whether Dec is playing or I am, we'll do our best."
Another reason for Phillips' limited time on the pitch has been the emergence of 19-year-old Jude Bellingham, who has been widely praised for his excellent tournament displays at such a young age.
Asked whether he is enjoying the tournament less because of his reduced minutes, the Manchester City man insisted he was still happy, and also praised those preferred to him.
"I am still enjoying it. I am still having loads of fun," Phillips explained. "I'm not playing as much, which can be frustrating, but if you look at the players playing ahead of me and how well they are doing, I can't really argue.
"I just need to keep working hard and getting fitter and fitter and then make an impact when I come on and be solid when I come on."
Much of the talk in the build-up to England's quarter-final clash has centred on how manager Gareth Southgate will combat the threat of tournament top goalscorer Kylian Mbappe.
Phillips' City team-mate Kyle Walker is the man many feel will be chosen to deal with Mbappe, though the defender only recently returned from injury.
While Phillips lauded Mbappe's abilities, he is confident Walker will be up to the task of defending against him, adding: "We know he [Mbappe] is an amazing player and he has been one of the top players for the last few years.
"But if there was anyone I would like to put up against Mbappe, it would be Kyle Walker because he is an unbelievable defender and probably the only one that is quicker than him as well."
Alexis Mac Allister's rise to prominence in the Argentina squad has surprised even himself, and the Brighton midfielder is relishing the prospect of Friday's World Cup quarter-final against the Netherlands.
Mac Allister did not play Argentina's first game in Qatar, a stunning 2-1 defeat to Saudi Arabia, but has subsequently cemented a place in Lionel Scaloni's midfield and quickly emerged as a key player.
Argentina take on the Oranje at Lusail Stadium with a place in the semi-finals at stake and Mac Allister is excited at the prospect.
"If you would have told me this [how influential he has become] before the World Cup I would have signed up for it, for sure," he said.
"It has been a fast integration but the credit for that goes to my colleagues and the technical staff."
The Netherlands will pose a serious threat to Argentina's hopes but Mac Allister was more interested in talking up his team-mates than spending too much time worrying about Louis van Gaal's men.
He added: "We know they have great players, and a very clear style, but we have our own weapons and will try to counter theirs.
"There is a great history between the sides but if we do things right everything will be fine."
The nations have met five times previously at the World Cup, with the last coming in 2014 when Argentina won a semi-final clash in Brazil on penalties after a turgid 0-0 draw.
Van Gaal was also in charge of the Dutch on that occasion, during his second spell of three at the helm, and Mac Allister was full of admiration for the 71-year-old.
"I remember watching that game with my family at home," he said. "I enjoyed it and now I am here. Being able to play these matches is a great joy.
"We know he's a top coach, world renowned, and there is a great deal of respect from everyone in our camp, including me. His teams always have variation but with a clear idea. We are up against a great team."
Lionel Messi has been Argentina's standout player so far in Qatar and stopping him could be key to the outcome.
Reports in the Netherlands suggest Van Gaal is considering employing someone to man mark the Paris Saint-Germain star but Argentina boss Lionel Scaloni claims to have seen it all before.
He said: "We are used to our opponents coming up with something different. We will see but, during the match, there are always modifications, and that’s something we are likely to do as well.
"Let's wait and see but we have played matches before when there has been man-marking on Leo."
Argentina have injury concerns over Rodrigo De Paul and Angel Di Maria but Scaloni was not giving much away regarding their availability.
"Today we have the last training session so we will see how they feel," he said. "Rodrigo trained on Wednesday so let's see what happens in today's session. Angel also trained so we will decide later today."
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