France will be defending their title with a tricky game against Australia in the Group D opener on Tuesday evening at the Al Janoub Stadium.
Having been eliminated from Euro 2020 at the last-16 stage, France are already guaranteed to relinquish their Nations League crown after a dismal period of performance in the 2022-23 edition, which very nearly culminated in an unthinkable relegation to League B.
Off-the-field scandals and countless injury problems have also plagued this France side, who already hold the unwanted honour of being the worst-performing defending champions at a World Cup after going out in the group stage in 2002 without a single win to their name.
However, France command a healthy amount of respect - even if their only win from their last six matches was a 2-0 home success against Austria - but history is certainly not on their side as they aim to become only the third team after Italy and Brazil to win back-to-back World Cups.
Indeed, the three defending champions that have come just before France - Germany, Spain and Italy - have all seen their next runs in the tournament end in the group stage, and not since Brazil in 2006 have the holders won their opening game of the competition.
The art of taking off a goalkeeper and bringing on a penalty-saving specialist is a difficult one to master, but Australia manager Graham Arnold pulled it off in the Socceroos' playoff final versus Peru, with Andrew Redmayne channelling his inner Bruce Grobbelaar in the shootout and helping to send Australia through.
Redmayne's efforts ensured that Australia would be present at the World Cup finals for the fourth time on the bounce, but the Socceroos have suffered three group-stage exits in that period and have only won one of their last nine games at the tournament - a 2-1 success over Serbia in 2010.
A round-of-16 berth in the 2006 tournament represents the Socceroos' best achievement on the biggest global stage so far, and while they flattered to deceive during AFC qualifying, Arnold's men head into their opening match on the back of five successive victories
France and Australia are familiar foes at the World Cup having met in the group stage four years ago too, which France won 2-1 thanks to Antoine Griezmann's penalty and an Aziz Behich own goal, and the Socceroos have only ever won one of their five meetings with Les Bleus, which came all the way back at the 2001 Confederations Cup.
Team News
There is no injury situation in the camp of both teams after some key players of France such as Karim Benzema, Christopher Nkunku, Ngolo Kante and Presnel Kimpembe were ruled out days before the commencement of the global showpiece.
France probable XI
Lloris; Pavard, Upamecano, Konate, Lucas Hernandez; Tchouameni, Rabiot; Dembele, Griezmann, Mbappe; Giroud
Australia probable XI
Ryan; Atkinson, Souttar, Rowles, Behich; McGree, Mooy, Irvine; Leckie, Duke, Goodwin
KICKOFF TIME
The game is scheduled to Kickoff at 19:00GMT (7:00PM)
TV CHANNELS
Kickgh.com, SuperSport, SKY Sports, fuboTV, BBC iPlayer/website, GTV Sports Plus, TV3, Metro TV, Globe TV, Original TV, ETV Ghana and GTV
