The 2026 World Cup is about to begin, and France is ready for the tournament, to be played in the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and will feature, for the first time, 48 participants. The latest world runner-up will try to remove the thorn of the lost final in Qatar and achieve its third title.
France is one of the clear contenders for the title. Not only because it has established figures in both the national team and some of the world’s top teams, but also because it reached the last two World Cup finals.
In addition to PSG, the European champion (Doué, Dembélé, and Zaïre-Emery), it has star players from teams such as Real Madrid (Mbappé and Tchouameni), Barcelona (Koundé), Liverpool (Konaté), Manchester City (Cherki), and Bayern Munich (Upamecano and Olise).
Below, we review everything you need to know about France before the World Cup, including how they qualified, their star players, their history in the World Cup, and more. Let’s get into it.
How France Qualified
The World Cup runner-up asserted its favoritism against three national teams that had not played in Qatar 2022, such as Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan.
Beyond the fact that, on paper, it was a couple of steps above its rivals, it took care to avoid surprises and secure the group’s only direct spot.
France’s Key Players
There are two players considered elite stars. Let’s start with Kylian Mbappé. He is one of the best players in the world, which he has already demonstrated, and he is also one of those who rise to the occasion in important matches.
Captain of the national team at 26 years old, he will play his third World Cup in 2026 after reaching the finals of the two he played: he won the title in Russia and was runner-up in Qatar. With his 12 goals in World Cups, he is a solid candidate to surpass the historic record of 16 held by German Miroslav Klose.
Also, there is Ousmane Dembélé. It must be said, his best version has not been seen with France, but rather with PSG under the orders of Luis Enrique.
That said, his commitment to pressing and defending, and his ability to dribble past opponents and power in attack make him one of the players to watch, without a doubt. It is not for nothing that he is the Ballon d’Or winner and two-time Champions League champion.
Breakout Potential
Another two-time Champions League champion: Warren Zaïre-Emery. Established as a starter for the powerful PSG, he made his debut for the national team in 2023 in an emphatic 14-0 win over Gibraltar at 17 years, 8 months, and 10 days old, scoring a goal and becoming the youngest scorer in the history of Les Bleus.
Deschamps considers him an unavoidable reference for his call-ups, and he seems destined to occupy a central place in the future of French soccer.
France’s World Cup History
France participated in the World Cups from the beginning and hosted the 1938 edition, but it was only in 1958 that they stood out, reaching the semifinals with a magical Just Fontaine, who set a record that is very difficult to match: 13 goals in a single tournament.
They fell in the semifinals again in 1982 and 1986, until, in 1998, at home, they won their first title, then went on to achieve back-to-back championships in 2018. Having lost on penalties in the 2006 and 2022 finals, they played the decisive match no fewer than four times in the last seven World Cups.
Although it took time to achieve an important place in the World Cups due to its results, France left its indelible mark from the very beginning, when Lucien Laurent scored the first goal in the history of the competition, in the 4-1 win over Mexico in Uruguay 1930. Also from France was Jules Rimet, the FIFA president who was the key man in getting the World Cups underway.
Coach: Didier Deschamps
Despite having great attacking talent, Didier Deschamps’ philosophy has always prioritized defensive solidity. With formidable center-back William Saliba and reliable goalkeeper Mike Maignan, the French national team has a solid defensive foundation.
Coach Deschamps always prioritizes a solid and pragmatic style of play in major tournaments. It is precisely this pragmatic style of Deschamps that has generated mixed opinions.
The 57-year-old coach is willing to sacrifice flashy soccer for the sake of practical effectiveness. This style helped Les Bleus win the World Cup in 2018 but also earned him considerable criticism for his ‘boring’ play, which, according to critics, did not live up to the players’ potential.
France’s Group Stage Fixtures
France vs. Senegal
- Date: Tuesday, June 16
- Times: 12 p.m. PT, 3 p.m. ET
- Venue: New Jersey
France vs. Iraq
- Date: Monday, June 22
- Times: 2 p.m. PT, 5 p.m. ET
- Venue: Philadelphia
Norway vs. France
- Date: Friday, June 26
- Times: 12 p.m. PT, 3 p.m. ET
- Venue: Boston
