France coach Didier Deschamps revealed the 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America on May 14, 2026, with captain Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele at the forefront [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Mbappe, 27, is recovering from a thigh injury sustained in late April or early May but remains expected to captain the team through the tournament [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9].
The squad includes three goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Brice Samba, and newcomer Robin Risser, who is uncapped but had a breakthrough season with Lens [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Defenders named are Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Maxence Lacroix, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, and Dayot Upamecano [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Midfield options include N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Warren Zaire-Emery [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. The forward line features Dembele, Desire Doue, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki—making his World Cup debut—Jean-Philippe Mateta, Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Marcus Thuram, and Mbappe himself [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
Notable absentees are Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani, who were part of the 2022 World Cup squad but miss out due to injuries and tactical decisions. Deschamps said, "I can imagine how disappointed [Camavinga] must be. He's coming off a tough season where he didn't play as much and suffered injuries. [But] I've got decisions to make and a squad to put together" [1].
France is drawn in Group I alongside Senegal, Iraq, and Norway [1, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Their opening group match will be against Senegal on June 16, 2026 [1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
This tournament will mark the end of Didier Deschamps’ tenure as head coach. He has led France since 2012 and guided them to the 2018 World Cup title [1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8]. Reflecting on his squad selection, Deschamps said, "It's a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It's about balance and how the team comes together" [1]. He added, "I have ambition and hope the players do too, but I don’t want us to lose humility... We are one of many teams with a chance to win" [7].
Mbappe’s recent return to Real Madrid after injury did not go smoothly due to boos from home fans amid club tensions [9]. Despite that, France remains a strong contender for the World Cup, ranked second in betting odds behind Spain [4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
The 2026 FIFA World Cup is scheduled to take place from June 11 to July 19 across the United States, Canada, and Mexico [2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8].
