France Football World Cup Team 2026 Overview

France will arrive at the FIFA World Cup looking to continue its successful run on the international stage. The 2018 world champion lost to Argentina only in the 2022 final. The last team to reach the final three times in a row was Brazil, which did so in 1994, 1998 and 2002. Hugo Ekitike will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup because of an injury, while Kylian Mbappe is also currently injured.

Here we present France’s group stage schedule, recent tournament results and briefly introduce the key players in the France football World Cup team.

France arrived at the 2022 FIFA World Cup with the goal of defending its title. After an impressive final, in which Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick, France lost to Argentina only after penalties. The title defense was unsuccessful, but in 2026 France is once again one of the favorites.

Since losing the final against Argentina squad, France has played 38 matches over four years and lost 6 of them. The France football World Cup team is currently unbeaten in nine straight matches, winning eight of them.

For many years, France has stood out for its talent in different positions. Looking at the defenders, Jules Kounde, Ibrahima Konate, Ferland Mendy, William Saliba and Wesley Fofana can be seen here. Young talents Malo Gusto, Leny Yoro and Loic Bade should also get places in the squad.

The situation in midfield is similar to the defensive line. Didier Deschamps will be able to choose from Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, Adrien Rabiot and Matteo Guendouzi. N‘Golo Kante could also be included in the national team squad.

France’s defensive and midfield lines are very solid, but the biggest talent is in attack. Alongside Kylian Mbappe, the FIFA World Cup France squad also includes Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Marcus Thuram, Christopher Nkunku and Bradley Barcola.

It is currently clear that Hugo Ekitike from FC Liverpool will miss the 2026 FIFA World Cup because of an injury.

Kylian Mbappe suffered an injury at the end of April and is currently not playing, but the France national team leader should recover in time. Lucas Chevalier is also among the players currently injured.

France World Cup team will compete in Group I, where it will play against Senegal, Norway and Iraq. France will play all three matches in different cities: East Rutherford, Philadelphia and Foxborough.

France qualified for the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing first in its qualifying group. It competed against Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan. With 5 wins and 1 draw, France collected 16 points.

After losing the 2022 FIFA World Cup final, France reached the semifinals at EURO 2024, where it lost 1:2 to the eventual champion Spain. In June 2025, France also lost to Spain in the UEFA Nations League semifinal, before later beating Germany in the match for third place.

France arrived at the 2022 FIFA World Cup under added pressure to defend the title. At the same time, opponents were even more motivated to beat the defending champion, which is what Argentina will face this year.

Defending a title is always harder than winning it again, so it is no surprise that solid online betting sites rate France among the favorites once more this year.

Looking at recent years, France has lost key matches in major tournaments against Spain, which is the main favorite at the 2026 FIFA World Cup. It can be said that France’s results at this year’s tournament will also depend on how the playoff matchups are set.

Although there are many talented players in the squad, France still depends heavily on Kylian Mbappe. The forward is currently recovering from an injury, and it is not clear what kind of form he will arrive in at the World Cup. The situation is very similar in the Spain national team, where Lamine Yamal is recovering from an injury.

France’s group is not difficult, and the additional knockout round will also give the France football World Cup team more time to build rhythm and reach its best form once the playoffs begin. That is exactly what can be expected from France, with its game improving with every match.