Head coach Didier Deschamps announced France’s 26-man squad on Wednesday, May 14, as Les Bleus prepare for another World Cup campaign following their heartbreaking defeat to Argentina in the 2022 final. Ranked No. 1 in the FIFA Men’s World Rankings, France will head to North America aiming to secure their third FIFA World Cup title.
Deschamps, who won the competition both as a player in 1998 and as manager in 2018, is widely expected to oversee his final World Cup campaign with France before stepping down after the tournament.
France’s squad continues to combine experience with youth, retaining established stars while integrating younger talents such as Warren Zaïre-Emery and Désiré Doué. Paris Saint-Germain are the most represented club in the squad with five players selected.
Les Bleus unveiled their squad through a creative announcement video centred around the message, “Everyone has a role to play”, highlighting the collective identity Deschamps is aiming to build ahead of the tournament in North America.
𝑬𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒐𝒏𝒆 𝒉𝒂𝒔 𝒂 𝒓𝒐𝒍𝒆 𝒕𝒐 𝒑𝒍𝒂𝒚 🇫🇷🌎
The 26 Les Bleus who will represent France at the 𝐖𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝 𝐂𝐮𝐩 𝟐𝟎𝟐𝟔 🔥#FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/h7MabEBrqi
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) May 14, 2026
Kylian Mbappé will once again lead France’s attack after captaining the side during the post-Qatar transition period. The Real Madrid forward already has one World Cup title and a runners-up medal to his name, while sitting just four goals behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time FIFA World Cup scoring record of 16.
Mbappé became the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final when he found the net against Croatia in France’s 2018 triumph. The 27-year-old forward scored four goals in Russia and eight in Qatar, and can be reasonably expected to challenge Klose’s record during the 2026 tournament.
Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé enters the tournament in strong form after another impressive campaign with Paris Saint-Germain. Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise is also expected to play a major creative role for Les Bleus after establishing himself among Europe’s leading attacking players.
One of the biggest talking points from Deschamps’ squad announcement was the omission of Eduardo Camavinga. The Real Madrid midfielder missed out following an injury-affected season and reduced role at club level. Randal Kolo Muani and goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier were also excluded from the squad.
France’s FIFA World Cup History
France are among the most successful nations in FIFA World Cup history, having won the tournament twice.
Their first title came on home soil in 1998 before Deschamps guided the team to their second World Cup triumph in Russia in 2018.
France have reached the FIFA World Cup final four times and suffered penalty shootout defeats in both of their runners-up finishes, losing to Italy in 2006 and Argentina in 2022.
The 2022 final in Qatar became one of the most memorable matches in World Cup history, with Mbappé scoring a hat-trick before France eventually lost on penalties.
Only four players from France’s 2018 World Cup-winning squad remain in the current group: Mbappé, N’Golo Kanté, Ousmane Dembélé and Lucas Hernández.
France FIFA World Cup 2026 Squad
Goalkeepers:
Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (RC Lens), Brice Samba (Stade Rennais)
Defenders:
Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernández (Paris Saint-Germain), Théo Hernández (Al Hilal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (FC Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders:
N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Manu Koné (AS Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards:
Maghnes Akliouche (AS Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
France FIFA World Cup 2026 – Group I Fixtures
June 16, 2026: France vs Senegal
June 22, 2026: France vs Iraq
June 26, 2026: France vs Norway
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