France's Deadly Trio Has Already Matched Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo — and They Still Have Games to Play
Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise have reached 19 goal involvements in just 4 games — a mark it took Brazil's legendary 2002 trio 7 matches to hit.
There's a stat doing the rounds at this World Cup that will sting any Brazilian fan: France's attacking trio has already done what Ronaldo, Ronaldinho and Rivaldo did on the road to the 2002 title — and they've done it faster.
According to UOL Esporte, Mbappé, Dembélé and Olise have combined for 19 goal involvements in the tournament. Brazil's 2002 trio reached the same number, but needed seven games to get there. The French? Just four.
Mbappé leads the way with six goals and two assists. Dembélé has chipped in with four goals and two key passes. Olise is the quiet conductor: five assists, the provider nobody can stop feeding.
Of France's 13 goals at this World Cup, only two didn't go through that trio — Barcola's against Senegal and Doué's against Norway, as reported by UOL.
This is only the second trio this century in which every member has accumulated five or more goal involvements at the same World Cup. The first was, of course, ours — in 2002.
The Golmetria model gives France a 12.6% chance of lifting the trophy — the highest of any team still in the competition. Brazil sit at 8.5%, the dream very much alive, but with a side of this calibre lurking on the horizon.
Saturday's round-of-16 clash against Paraguay in Philadelphia is Mbappé and company's chance to stretch that historic mark even further. And the bigger they grow, the louder the question becomes: if Brazil's path crosses France's, this trio will be at its peak — will there be an answer?