France at the FIFA World Cup 2026

FIFA ranking: 1
Group: I
Confederation: UEFA
Coach: Didier Deschamps
World Cup titles: 2
Best result: Winners (1998, 2018)

History

France is a two-time FIFA World Cup champion, lifting the trophy in 1998 on home soil and again in 2018 in Russia. The 1998 triumph, led by Zinedine Zidane and coached by Aime Jacquet, announced France as a dominant force in world football. The 2018 victory in Moscow under Didier Deschamps made France only the third nation to win the tournament as both player and coach for the same manager. Beyond their two titles, France reached the final in 2006, losing on penalties to Italy, and were runners-up in 1982 after a third-place finish. The 2026 tournament is their 16th World Cup appearance.

Qualification

France qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup as winners of UEFA qualifying Group D. Their group consisted of France, Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. France dominated the campaign with an unbeaten run, finishing top with 16 points. A 4-0 victory over Ukraine, in which Kylian Mbappe scored twice, was among the highlights. Deschamps confirmed this would be his final tournament as head coach after more than 13 years in charge, with his contract ending after the World Cup.

Preparation

Deschamps named his 26-man squad on May 14, 2026, led by captain Kylian Mbappe, while Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani missed out. France assembled for its final training camp at Clairefontaine from May 29, 2026 with an initial 18 players; the squad then filled out in stages as late-season finalists reported. Crystal Palace's Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix joined on May 30 after winning the UEFA Conference League, and PSG's Champions League winners (Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Zaire-Emery, Doue, Barcola) plus Arsenal's William Saliba completed the group at the start of June. Saliba arrived nursing a back problem aggravated in the Champions League final, but Deschamps played down the concern. France beat Colombia 3-1 in an international friendly on March 29, 2026 in Washington, with Desire Doue scoring twice. Before the tournament, Les Bleus face Ivory Coast on June 4 at the Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes (21:10) and Northern Ireland on June 8 at the Decathlon Arena Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Lille (21:10), in what will be Deschamps' final home match in charge. France depart for the United States on June 10, with their tournament base camp in Boston, Massachusetts.

Latest news

PSG's Champions League winners and Saliba complete France's Clairefontaine camp

Tue 2 Jun · squad

PSG's France internationals Ousmane Dembele, Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaire-Emery, Desire Doue and Bradley Barcola joined the squad at Clairefontaine after winning the Champions League against Arsenal, with Arsenal's William Saliba also reporting. Their late arrival brought Deschamps' 26-man group to full strength for the final pre-tournament phase.

frenchfootballweekly.com · 2026-06-02
sports.orange.fr · 2026-06-02
khelnow.com · 2026-06-02

Saliba a World Cup doubt after back injury in Champions League final, but Deschamps plays it down

Mon 1 Jun · injuries

William Saliba aggravated a back problem during Arsenal's Champions League final defeat to PSG and was reported on 1 June as a World Cup doubt, with some outlets suggesting several weeks out. He still joined France's camp at Clairefontaine; his tests were less worrying than first feared and Deschamps said "He's here, everything is fine." His fitness is being monitored.

footmercato.net · 2026-06-02
si.com · 2026-06-02
sports.yahoo.com · 2026-06-02

Conference League winners Mateta and Lacroix report to France camp

Sat 30 May · squad

Crystal Palace pair Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix joined France's training camp at Clairefontaine on 30 May, days after winning the UEFA Conference League final 1-0 against Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig on 27 May, a match decided by Mateta's goal.

sports.orange.fr · 2026-06-02
en.wikipedia.org · 2026-06-02

Squad

Player	Position	Club
Mike Maignan	GK	AC Milan
Brice Samba	GK	Stade Rennais
Robin Risser	GK	RC Lens
Lucas Digne	DF	Aston Villa
Malo Gusto	DF	Chelsea
Lucas Hernández	DF	Paris Saint-Germain
Théo Hernández	DF	Al-Hilal
Ibrahima Konaté	DF	Liverpool
Jules Koundé	DF	FC Barcelona
Maxence Lacroix	DF	Crystal Palace
William Saliba	DF	Arsenal
Dayot Upamecano	DF	Bayern Munich
N'Golo Kanté	MF	Fenerbahçe
Manu Koné	MF	AS Roma
Adrien Rabiot	MF	AC Milan
Aurélien Tchouaméni	MF	Real Madrid
Warren Zaïre-Emery	MF	Paris Saint-Germain
Maghnes Akliouche	FW	AS Monaco
Bradley Barcola	FW	Paris Saint-Germain
Rayan Cherki	FW	Manchester City
Ousmane Dembélé	FW	Paris Saint-Germain
Désiré Doué	FW	Paris Saint-Germain
Jean-Philippe Mateta	FW	Crystal Palace
Kylian Mbappé	FW	Real Madrid
Michael Olise	FW	Bayern Munich
Marcus Thuram	FW	Inter Milan