France will face Australia in their first World Cup match in Kazan on Saturday.

"It will be a battle, not just a game. I hope we will control the course of the game, although our rivals will put up resistance... It is important to start the tournament well. This will boost our confidence. But we should not forget how strong the rivals from our group are," Lloris told journalists.

France, who claimed their only World Cup title on home turf in 1998, will also play Peru in Yekaterinburg on June 21 and Denmark in Moscow on June 26.

The 2018 FIFA World Cup will last till July 15, with the games set to be played at 12 stadiums across 11 Russian cities.