Last two-time finalist and one-time winner, France is the hot favorite in the FIFA World Cup 2026. There is no doubt about the potential of this French team under the World Cup-winning coach and player Didier Deschamps. Plenty of options to choose players for him from the top European Clubs. Can France regain the title after missing the last time against Argentina? Let’s get the lowdown.
Route to the FIFA World Cup 2026
France was in group D with Ukraine, Azerbaijan, and Iceland. The Blues qualified as the group champion with 16 points from a possible 18.
The only 2-2 draw of France came against Iceland in an away match. They scored 16 goals in those 6 matches, averaging more than 2.5 goals per match. The top scorer was none other than the goal machine Kylian Mbappe. He was the top assist provider for the team as well.
In the 2022 World Cup qualifier, France was promoted from Group D as well as being the champion of the group. They played 8 matches where their opponents were Ukraine, Finland, Bosnia and Herzegovina, and Kazakhstan.
They scored 18 goals and conceded only 3. The Les Bleus lost no game and drew 3 games out of their eight. Ukraine prevented France from winning on both occasions. Another draw came against Bosnia and Herzegovina.
The top scorer for France was Antoine Griezmann with 6 goals, who will miss this tournament as he retired in 2024. Kylian Mbappe was the second-highest scorer with 5 goals.
Deschamps Coaching – World Cup Winner As A Player and A Coach
103-capped Didier Deschamps won the FIFA World Cup in 1998 and the Euro in 2000 for France as a player. He will lead France for the third consecutive FIFA World Cup as a manager.
As a French manager, he has already won the FIFA World Cup in 2018 and the UEFA Nations League in 2021. He managed 177 games starting from 2012, where he won 115 matches. 32 draws and 30 losses also came under his supervision.
He prefers the 4-2-3-1 formation as a coach. Though lately he was criticized for failure in the Euro and the last FIFA World Cup, he has a bunch of talented players to win the title this time.
Land Of Talents In Every Position
France has already announced their 23-men squad for the World Cup in North America. There are a lot of young talents and experienced veterans in the team who can destroy any opponent on their day. However, whoever wants to conquer, they must play as a team.
The biggest names are Kylian Mbappe, who has been in great form individually for the last two years at Real Madrid. He scored a hat-trick in the Final last year, but ended up on the losing side.
Ballon d’Or winner Dembele, Bayern star Olise, and PSG’s young talent Barcola, Doue has the ability to play a big role in the journey. Manchester City attacking midfielder Rayan Cherki or Inter forward Thuram can turn the game at any moment.
In the defense, there are inform players like Saliba, Upamecano, Gusto, and Konate, who are in great shape with their club in domestic and continental tournaments. Mike Maignan will have the responsibility under the goal bar.
Certain players have the experience of playing the last two World Cups. This experience will help them not just perform but also help young players cope with the pressure of the World Cup and perform.
They may have some wrinkles in the forehead about the midfield, as the midfield will be led by N’Golo Kante. There are veteran players like Rabiot who can help out the young talent like Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaire-Emery, etc.
Two Times Champion France – History Created In The Last 30 Years
In 1930, France participated in the first World Cup in history as one of the four European teams to do so. The French appeared 16 times in the top flight of the FIFA World Cup and won twice. Both of them came in the last 28 years.
The Les Bleus won their first World Cup title in 1998 as hosts, beating the defending champion Brazil 3-0 in the final. Zinedine Zidane scored a brace to lift the golden trophy. Before that, in 1938, France hosted the World Cup, where they were beaten by Italy, the defending champion. They got third place twice in 1958 and 1986.
In the last two FIFA World Cups, France played in the final. They won in 2018 and became the champions. However, in 2022, despite Kylian Mbappé’s hat trick, they lost on penalties to Argentina. Overall, they have shown consistency in the last two World Cups. They qualified to the round of 16 as a group champion both times. Lost only 1 match against Tunisia in 2022 World Cup group stage.
In the 2022 Final, France came back after going down for 2 goals in the final, and the normal time ended on 2-2. Extra time could not make a difference between the teams as the 120 minutes ended in a 3-3 draw. France lost in penalties 4-2.
Can France Conquer North America?
With the talents and experience France has, they must go at least Semi Final. They will push for glory as this might be the last World Cup for the veteran coach Didier Deschamps. Now the fans need to wait and see what they can put up in the field.
