France get their campaign underway with a tricky fixture against Senegal in New Jersey next week, and ahead of the tournament, the former Chelsea and AC Milan man, who is also now a FIFA ambassador, spoke exclusively to Flashscore's Tolga Akdeniz.
He gave his thoughts on his expectations for the World Cup as someone who works for FIFA, how France and the African nations could fare, and more!
We saw you in action ahead of the World Cup as an ambassador in your role as a FIFA ambassador. What are your expectations for this World Cup on a continent where football is not the leading sport?
"I'm very proud to be an ambassador of FIFA because there's still a whole lot to do. Even if football is the best sport across the world, we still have a lot of market to grab: India, China, New Zealand, Australia, America, Canada, Thailand. We are not the first sport there.
"You have four or five sports that are in front of us, you know, in America. You have basketball, you have American football, you have basketball, you have baseball. Another one: hockey, you see? So it is what it is. So it's good to be back for the first time since 1994. We were away from America, and there's a real gap between the perception that we have and the reality on the ground.
"We believe that the World Cup is everything. But when you look at it deep down, you can realise that in America, the craziness over the World Cup is not that much. All the stadiums are full, but deep down in the cities across the United States of America, it's not really crazy.
"They've done well. They've created a new system to sell the tickets online to be able to resell, so it has a boost, you know, a little bit of the revenue aspect. But there's a real task for Canada and America to raise interest in football. So having 48 teams now in the system is good and bad at the same time.
"It gives access to more matches, to capture more attention to the people. You have to know I have a stat. The stat is that the exposure of each of the matches of the World Cup in America, Canada, and Mexico will be the equivalent of the Super Bowl in America. You see? So it is what it is. It's super exposed worldwide, and we are looking forward to it."
Where would you put France in the trophy contenders right now, a couple of weeks before the tournament, especially looking at teams like Argentina, Spain, Brazil and England?
"So you've seen the friendly match against Brazil. You've seen, and you felt that there's a difference in class between the teams. And now having Neymar back in the system, maybe Brazil will raise to another level. But the first perception that we all have is that France have an amazing squad. When you look at the individuals that are inside the team, there's no other team that can pretend to have those powerful players in the system.
"Spain might be better. Argentina are the trophy holders. But if Didier (Deschamps) is able to bring a tactical organisation into the system, France will again be one of the best. You can have the surprise of Portugal. I believe that Portugal will be the surprise of the tournament, you know. Because if you look at it clearly, the type of players that they have in the system is just amazing to another level.
"I really believe that the individuality that we have inside is just great. And you don't have a (Kylian) Mbappe problem. Everybody accepts that he's the leader in the French national team, even though you have (Ousmane) Dembele, who is a Ballon d'Or winner. So, it depends. France have to play, Senegal... they are the African Cup of Nations winners. We can never consider that Morocco is the winner.
"The way you start the first match will set up the rest of your tournament, probably because it's not an easy group that they are in. You have (Erling) Haaland, who is with Norway on the other side. If you start badly and you have to play, you are lucky that you play Iraq in your second match.
"But you never know, you might be stressed for your second. But luckily, now, this World Cup has 48 teams. So you also have your best third team that can also go through easily. So, there's no fear. You ask me the question, there's no fear. There is the possibility of France winning, but you know, at least the semi-finals."
There is a lot of talk around Zinedine Zidane potentially being the manager of France after the World Cup. Do you see his arrival as a continuation of what Deschamps did, or will he try to do something different?
"I think Zidane has done very, very well with Real Madrid. But he had no real opportunity to express his philosophy. I think he took what (Rafa) Benitez before him put in place with the players that he has recruited into the system. Luckily, he brought his own understanding of the game, and it worked amazingly.
"For the national team, I believe that he will try really hard and erase the philosophy that Didier has put in place to settle his own philosophy into the system. I am sure that four or five people who are first choice for Didier will move from the team to leave space for a different philosophy in the system. It's not been officially announced that it's going to be him, but it looks like there's a big chance.
"Especially the fact that Zidane never wanted to join any club. Chelsea gave him blank checks to come and coach for them. Manchester United said the same thing when they were facing problems. Turkish teams also. So it means that there's a real lifestyle understanding from Zidane, you know.
"So he needs his space. And the national team will give him the power to be back in the system. And at the same time, allow him to continue to have a decent quality of life."
Beyond the personal considerations of the man himself, what future do you imagine for your friend Deschamps? Would you like to see him back in charge of a club or a national team, or perhaps in another role?
"I think he will go for another national team. I don't see Didier going on every day. You know, we are the same age. I'm born in September, he's born in October. I don't see him taking over a club. He will definitely take a national team."
You were captain of the French team during the 2002 debacle. That opening game defeat against Senegal was a big upset and shaped the rest of the tournament. Do you think that match will still be in the players’ minds before the clash at the World Cup, or does it belong firmly to the past now?
"A lot of the boys that are actually in the team, they were not born. So only the media and the people around may remember it, but I think they are stronger than that, honestly. They will handle it correctly, more than thinking it is a curse that they will have the same result as the French team in 2002.
"There were other elements. We played the opening match. We were the defending champions of the World Cup, you know. We also won the EUROs. So, we were stressed. Most of us were like 32 or 31 years old. You cannot compare.
"The game is the same, but it's a different generation. Senegalese, for sure, will use all the happiness of that victory that they had back in the day. But from a French perspective, it's a different approach. Even though Senegal are African Cup winners, I still believe that they do not disturb the minds of these players.
"It's funny, because, in 2002, when coming to play against Senegal, we had the best three strikers. (David) Trezeguet was the top scorer in Italy, Thierry Henry the top scorer in England, and Djibril Cisse the top scorer in France. But it is what it is."
You've previously spoken about the quality of African nations ahead of this World Cup. How do you see Ivory Coast and Senegal doing? But naturally, you must be thinking about Ghana too, who have brought in Carlos Queiroz just before the tournament. What do you make of that?
"I love the previous coach (Otto Addo). He was unlucky that they did not perform during the friendlies. But I believe that Queiroz will bring his own touch into the system. I talk about the system. In Ghana and many other countries, the system is that sometimes the coach has to adapt to what the management and administration are telling him, you see?
"So Queiroz will deal with his own sensibility. He knows about football. He has experience in football. He has real experience in European football over the years. So he will kill a little bit of the egos. In Africa, we have a problem with the egos. The older players that are in the team, who are no longer performing, but they are still there, and you cannot move them out.
"There are some very good players who are first choice in the Premier League and in other leagues. So I am hoping that Ghana will be with Morocco, with Senegal, and the Ivory Coast as the surprises of this World Cup. We have 10 African teams at the World Cup.
"So Ghana could be one of the surprises if they start very well with the confidence and a good philosophy from Queiroz, and kill all the things that I've said before: the egos and the older player problems, those who are in the system that sometimes delay the development of others."
Antoine Semenyo had a superb season in England and seems ready to take on the role of leader of the Black Stars. What do you expect from him at the World Cup?
"He's that individual player that when you are facing challenges, with one move, one run, he can allow Ghana to stay in the game. So this is what we are expecting from him. Be disciplined. Don't take advantage because you are a Manchester City player, you are a star, you are arriving in Ghana, and you are stronger than the entity and the team. You understand?
"So he really needs to come in with humility and be that top player that can make the difference. The issue is he needs to stay disciplined even though he's a Manchester City player, and he's one of the stars. We need him to be one of the key players who can allow them, when they are in a difficult situation, to raise a little bit.
"They've not qualified for the African Cup of Nations, so the expectation in Ghana is very high, and also for the players, they are eager to be part of international competition."
In 2007, you had said you wanted to take charge of the Ghana national team one day. That never happened, and you ultimately ended up never managing. Do you have regrets over that?
"No, I feel that I'm very useful to sport and football through what I do out of the game. Yes, I can coach a team, 25 players, my name in the newspapers, but I believe that what I do today in my life - I almost took the Ghana national team but some lifestyle choices stopped me taking the position.
"On my home soil, I didn't want it to... at the end, you get sacked. You start well, but in the end, there's always a drop. So I didn't want it to face this issue during my lifetime.
"So I'm useful to football by giving my expertise. You know, I'm a UEFA Pro License holder. I work on TV, which allows me to give my expertise to the fans, my charity, my academy, the promotion I do around the world, to raise the interest of soccer.
"The little entrepreneur that I am here in Ghana, where I manage a whole lot of people over my ventures."