Easiest solution is Fascist Italy sides with the WAllies in WW2, but I think you want to avoid that.
France could perhaps do it. They did a good job during the Cold War and beyond dominating their former empire in Africa. Have the split between the Americans and French after the war be more severe (let's say France unilaterally seizes chunks of Germany and Italy for itself) and the Americans (a) side with Ho Chi Minh against France in SE Asia and support decolonization there more aggressively (b) deny the French an occupation zone. France uses the Belgian Royal Crisis of 1945-1951 as a means to expand territory (Belgium splitting into a Kingdom/Grand Duchy of Flanders and a French Wallonia).
A greater France comprised of today's France, Wallonia, Saarland, Kehl, Aosta, Susa, Imperia, Algeria, Bizerte, Gabon, and Djibouti has a large population and economic base to challenge the US.
Israel, Lebanon, Yugoslavia, Spain, France's ex-colonies in Africa, DRCongo, Taiwan, and South Africa all end up buddy buddy with France too maybe. Biafra down the line ends up in the French sphere as well, and between Gabon, Spanish Guinea, Algeria, and Biafra the bloc has an abundance of oil wealth.
Meanwhile Britain, Netherlands, Flanders, Luxembourg, Italy, Denmark, W Germany, and Norway integrate more tightly into a mostly "North Sea" bloc.
What's the saying? France has neither friends nor enemies, just interests?