France got rolled over by Ireland in the Six Nations. Ireland winning the whole thing with a grand slam, ie they won all 5 games. A home crowd only goes so far. If you are looking for a possible dark horse I think it is more likely to be Scotland. They haven't looked this good in years. They came and beat England at Twickenham in the 6 Nations which is something they haven't done in over 30 years.
Jesus, what's going on with the Spanish soccer federation? They supported the guy who harassed the player, and are now threatening to sue the player. This is the same federation that ridiculed Vini Jr when he complained - with good reason - of the racism he was a victim of. It's interesting that the Spanish federation did nothing to punish the guy, but then FIFA stepped in and suspended him for 90 days while they investigate (will likely then make the temporary suspension, a permanent ban) The players, the true World Champions, have now refused to play for Spain until the leadership of the federation is brought down. This should be a moment of celebration for the players' extraordinary accomplishment, and instead, turned into a display of outrageous sexism by the federation. Spain's politicians and civil authorities, and international soccer authorities, all condemn what happened, except for the clueless Spanish federation. Unbelievable!
Head Coach Jorge Vilda may be next: From what I've read, Vilda is a hard ass/strict disciplinarian and his style has rubbed many of the players the wrong way. Even though Vilda criticized Luis Rubiales for his behavior it was Rubiales who hired him, so Vilda's head may be the next to roll. What a fiasco....
Thankfully the tide is turning at the Spanish federation. I have no illusion, though, that they are only doing it due to the huge backlash. They are racists (Vini Jr's episode) and sexists (the current episode).
