What’s France squad for the World Cup?

Victorious in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, the France national football team are once again among the leading favourites for the 2026 World Cup. Here, FootballWhispers takes a look at the squad selected by Les Bleus for the tournament in North America, their match schedule, the nation's main strengths, as well as their weaknesses.

France head coach Didier Deschamps announced his 26-man squad on May 14. The training camp at Clairefontaine began on May 29 and will be rounded off by two final warm-up matches, first on June 4 against Ivory Coast in Nantes, four days before taking on Northern Ireland in Lille.

France's schedule at the 2026 World Cup

Drawn into a challenging Group I, although they remain favourites, Les Bleus will begin their World Cup campaign against a familiar opponent in the Senegalese national team.

They will then face tournament minnows Iraq, who secured qualification in March after defeating Bolivia in an intercontinental playoff, before concluding the group stage against a Norway side led by Manchester City striker Erling Haaland.

• France vs Senegal – June 16, 2026, at 21:00 (MetLife Stadium, New York)
• France vs Iraq – June 22, 2026, at 23:00 (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
• France vs Norway – June 26, 2026, at 21:00 (Gillette Stadium, Boston)

Didier Deschamps' squad for the 2026 World Cup

Goalkeepers	Mike Maignan (AC Milan) Robin Risser (RC Lens) Brice Samba (Stade Rennais)
Defenders	Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) Malo Gusto (Chelsea) Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain) Théo Hernandez (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 Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Attackers	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)

In goal, first-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan and the experienced Brice Samba were selected as expected. However, Deschamps made a bold decision for the third goalkeeper spot by calling up Robin Risser, who enjoyed an outstanding season with Lens and was named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Season.

Risser, who is a native of northern France, received his first call-up and was preferred to Paris Saint-Germain man Lucas Chevalier, who struggled with the Ligue 1 champions.

At centre-back, Deschamps named expected starters William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano, regular backups Ibrahima Konate and Lucas Hernandez, as well as surprise inclusion Crystal Palace man Maxence Lacroix, who impressed during his international debut appearances back in March.

Arsenal defender Saliba sustained a back injury during the UEFA Champions League final against PSG and remains a major concern, with the progress of his recovery set to be closely monitored.

It is worth noting that injured players can be replaced up to 24 hours before their team's first World Cup match, with the likes of Wesley Fofana, Loic Bade, Pierre Kalulu, and Benjamin Pavard among the options being considered should Saliba be ruled out.

At full-back, there were few surprises. Jules Kounde and Malo Gusto were selected on the right, while Lucas Digne and Theo Hernandez were picked by Deschamps to cover the left flank.

In midfield, N'Golo Kante, Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot, Manu Kone, and Warren Zaire-Emery earned Deschamps' trust. In contrast, he decided to leave out Eduardo Camavinga following a difficult season at Real Madrid. There was also no recall for 2018 World Cup winner Corentin Tolisso despite an impressive campaign with Lyon.

In attack, Deschamps enjoys an abundance of options. The trio of Ousmane Dembele, Kylian Mbappe, and Michael Olise are expected to start, although one position on the left side of the 4-2-3-1 remains open. Bradley Barcola currently appears to have a slight edge over Desire Doue, despite the duo's opposite hierarchy at Paris Saint-Germain.

With Hugo Ekitike sidelined until 2026 through injury, Jean-Philippe Mateta and the versatile Marcus Thuram will compete for the role as backup to Mbappe in the striker role. Unfortunate in the 2022 World Cup final, Randal Kolo Muani was left out following a difficult season at Tottenham.

Rayan Cherki has been selected to be Olise's alternative in the playmaking role, and Maghnes Akliouche on the right wing will provide fresh energy from the bench.

France's strengths

With Olise finishing the season as Europe's leading assist provider with 31 assists and among the favourites for the Ballon d'Or, Ousmane Dembele rediscovering top form in the second half of the season despite some fitness issues, and Kylian Mbappe remaining prolific while continuing his habit of shining on the World Cup stage, Didier Deschamps undoubtedly possesses the strongest attacking line in the tournament.

The debate between Bradley Barcola and Desire Doue for the left-wing position and the luxury of leaving a player like Rayan Cherki on the bench can certainly be viewed as enviable selection dilemmas.

The Tchouameni-Rabiot midfield partnership, supported by options such as N'Golo Kante and Manu Kone, is also expected to be one of France's major strengths.

France's weaknesses

Conversely, the full-back positions represent the biggest concern for Les Bleus and the only area where the starters appear to be selected more by default than by overwhelming superiority.

This assessment may be harsh down the right, where Jules Kounde offers quality, but the Frenchman is coming off a rather disappointing individual campaign with Barcelona. His backup, Malo Gusto, preferred ahead of the versatile Pierre Kalulu, still appears somewhat inexperienced to seriously challenge him.

On the left side, the situation is even less certain. There remains doubt over the preferred starter, although Lucas Digne, reliable if not spectacular, appears to hold a slight advantage over Theo Hernandez, whose performances for the national team have been underwhelming and whose decision to continue his career in Saudi Arabia has done little to strengthen his case.