A spot in the Qatar 2022 quarterfinals is on the line when France and Poland square off on Sunday.











  • Poland came in second in Group C, while France took first place in Group D. 
  • The reigning world champions haven't advanced past the round of 16 of the World Cup since Germany in 2006. 
  • The winners will play either Senegal or England in the quarterfinals.

the current world champions Given how the hosts have performed over the previous 16 years, France's advancement to the knockout round of the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022TM is already a success in and of itself. 

Famously, in 2010, 2014, and 2018, respectively, Italy, Spain, and Germany all tried to defend their titles but were unable to get out of their groups. Didier Deschamps and his players will be relieved to have broken that unfavorable trend, but they now have their sights set on getting beyond the following roadblock.

The challenge in question, Poland, narrowly missed making the Round of 16 for the first time since 1986 despite dropping their Group C match against Argentina on Wednesday by a score of 2-0. 

Although Robert Lewandowski and company won't be considered favorites to defeat Les Bleus, they'll probably take inspiration from Tunisia, who defeated France 1-0 in their final group game. The French team also looked more vulnerable than it did at the start of the tournament, despite the fact that there had been a number of lineup changes before the shocking loss. Could the Poles also have something to say?