AL THUMAMA, Qatar — The most difficult thing to do in a World Cup isn't winning the title. It's repeating as the titlist.
Eight countries have won a World Cup, six of them more than once. Yet only Brazil and Italy have won two in a row. No team, though, has successfully defended a title in six decades.
That's the challenge facing France in Qatar, where Les Bleus moved a step closer to history Sunday by pushing aside Poland 3-1 in the round of 16. The goals came from — who else? — Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, who have accounted for eight of France's nine scores in this tournament.
