World Cup '26

Nation dossier · Group I · Out in the Semi-final

France

French Republic

Group IUEFAEliminated · Semi-final

Latest France 4–6 England · Third place

Knocked out by Spain · Match 101

Compare →View bracket path →

Title probability

0.0%

as of 2026-07-20

Overview

France remain the benchmark of world football, arriving at the 2026 finals as perennial contenders chasing a third title in five tournaments. Two finals in succession (2018, 2022) underline a golden generation that simply refuses to fade, even as Didier Deschamps prepares for a generational handover after a long and trophy-laden reign.

With Kylian Mbappé now firmly the talisman and captain, Les Bleus blend ruthless attacking firepower with a defensive spine envied across the globe. The talent pool is so deep that world-class players are left at home each cycle — a luxury few nations can comprehend.

Momentum and squad health permitting, France will travel to North America expecting nothing less than another deep run, with the trophy the only outcome deemed a success.

Capital

Paris

Population

68,600,000

Confederation

UEFA

FIFA code

FRA

World
Region

From Wikipedia

France, officially the French Republic, is a country primarily located in Western Europe. Its overseas regions and territories include French Guiana in South America, Saint Pierre and Miquelon in the North Atlantic, the French West Indies, and many islands in Oceania and the Indian Ocean. Metropolitan France shares borders with Belgium and Luxembourg to the…

Source: Wikipedia →

Squad

Goalkeepers3
  • 1

    Brice Samba

    Rennes · Reliable shot-stopping deputy

    4caps
  • 16

    Mike Maignan

    AC Milan · First-choice goalkeeper

    40caps
  • 23

    Robin Risser

    Lens · Uncapped young goalkeeper

    0caps
Defenders9
  • 2

    Malo Gusto

    Chelsea

    11caps
  • 3

    Lucas Digne

    Aston Villa · Veteran left-back

    58caps
  • 4

    Dayot Upamecano

    Bayern Munich · Powerful aggressive defender

    38caps
  • 5

    Jules Koundé

    Barcelona · Versatile defender

    48caps
  • 15

    Ibrahima Konaté

    Liverpool · Athletic dominant stopper

    28caps
  • 17

    William Saliba

    Arsenal · Elegant ball-playing centre-back

    32caps
  • 19

    Theo Hernández

    Al-Hilal · Attacking left-back

    44caps
  • 21

    Lucas Hernández

    Paris Saint-Germain · 2018 World Cup winner

    42caps
  • 26

    Maxence Lacroix

    Crystal Palace

    4caps
Midfielders8
  • 6

    Manu Koné

    Roma · Combative pressing midfielder

    14caps
  • 8

    Aurélien Tchouameni

    Real Madrid · Defensive midfield anchor

    46caps
  • 13

    N'Golo Kanté

    Fenerbahçe · 2018 World Cup winner

    69caps
  • 14

    Adrien Rabiot

    AC Milan · Tireless all-action runner

    59caps
  • 18

    Warren Zaïre-Emery

    Paris Saint-Germain · Youngest French debutant in decades

    11caps
  • 20

    Desire Doue

    Paris Saint-Germain · Champions League final star

    7caps
  • 24

    Rayan Cherki

    Manchester City

    7caps
  • 25

    Maghnes Akliouche

    Monaco

    9caps
Forwards6
  • 7

    Ousmane Dembélé

    Paris Saint-Germain · 2025 Ballon d'Or contender

    59caps
  • 9

    Marcus Thuram-Ulien

    Inter Milan

    34caps
  • 10

    Kylian Mbappé

    Real Madrid · Captain and all-time top scorer

    98caps
  • 11

    Michael Olise

    Bayern Munich

    17caps
  • 12

    Bradley Barcola

    Paris Saint-Germain · Pacey direct wide threat

    20caps
  • 22

    Jean-Philippe Mateta

    Crystal Palace

    4caps

Model

as of 2026-07-20
Champion0.0%
Reach final0.0%
Semi-final100.0%
Quarter-final100.0%
Round of 16100.0%
Advance from group100.0%

Exp. points

9.00

Proj. finish

3.5

Seed Elo

2020

Title-probability trajectory

Champion chance across the last 14 snapshots

Matches

Results

Third place
France
4–6
England

Hard Rock Stadium, Miami

Semi-final
France
0–2
Spain

AT&T Stadium, Dallas

Quarter-final
France
2–0
Morocco

Gillette Stadium, Boston

Round of 16
Paraguay
0–1
France

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Round of 32
France
3–0
Sweden

MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey

Group I
Norway
1–4
France

Gillette Stadium, Boston

Group I
France
3–0
Iraq

Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia

Group I
France
3–1
Senegal

MetLife Stadium, New York/New Jersey

History

  1. 1958

    Third place

  2. 1982

    Fourth place

  3. 1986

    Third place

  4. 🏆

    1998

    Champions

  5. 2006

    Runners-up

  6. 🏆

    2018

    Champions

  7. 2022

    Runners-up

Culture

Football culture

French football has evolved from underachiever to superpower, anchored by the world-renowned Clairefontaine academy system that mass-produces elite talent. Ligue 1 may export its best players abroad, but the conveyor belt never slows. The national side commands extraordinary passion, with celebrations and post-mortems alike dominating the public square.

Did you know

  • France hosted and won the very first European Championship-era World Cup glory at home in 1998.
  • Clairefontaine, the national academy, has produced stars from Henry to Mbappé.
  • Kylian Mbappé scored a hat-trick in a World Cup final — and still finished on the losing side in 2022.
  • France fielded one of the youngest-ever World Cup-winning squads in 2018.
  • French is spoken on five continents, mirroring the team's globe-spanning heritage.