Bradley Barcola, the 23-year-old Paris Saint-Germain and France forward, spoke to M6 on Tuesday evening following the 3-0 victory over Sweden in the 2026 World Cup Round of 32. He discussed his team’s strengths, the “genius” of Michael Olise (24, Bayern Munich), his own goal, and the competition with Désiré Doué (a 21-year-old midfielder/forward for PSG and Les Bleus).
Barcola: “It’s incredible how much fun we’re having together!”
A great team?
It’s incredible how much fun we’re having together!
An attacking connection?
We feel it on the pitch, too; we work hard on it in training. We know where players want the ball. We manage to find each other well on the field. It’s working well so far—it’s great.
Tell us about your goal.
Michael played a great pass to me, and I was unmarked. The goalkeeper might have thought I was going to open up my foot, but I closed it off instead, and it worked—so that’s good.
Barcola: “I see him as a genius.”
What does Olise bring to the pitch?
He does a bit of everything on the pitch. Defensively, he’s very present. With the ball, he manages to find great passes, create openings, and pose a threat. He also has the ability to score—that will come. It’s a pleasure playing with him. Every time he touches the ball, it’s dangerous. I see him as a genius.
That’s already a second goal for you?
I didn’t necessarily expect to score two goals, but it’s incredible for me. Scoring is an even greater source of pride because we know we’re representing an entire country; honestly, it’s amazing—that’s why I hope I’ll score even more.
Barcola: “There isn’t necessarily any real competition.”
Competition with Doué—is the starting spot a major factor right now?
“There isn’t necessarily any real competition. We get along really well, both on and off the pitch. He gave me advice at halftime, and conversely, I give him advice when he starts. We knew it would be a great competition to play in, but I’m very happy with how I’m doing so far, so I hope it continues. I hadn’t necessarily imagined putting in performances like this; I’m really happy with what I’ve managed to achieve so far.”
