France arrive at the 2026 World Cup having already won it once under Didier Deschamps, finished runners-up in the last edition, and are once again sitting near the top of the betting markets. The difference this time: Deschamps is walking away after the tournament, and the squad he's taken to the United States carries both the talent to win it all and the injury scars that could unravel everything.
Les Bleus will be based in Boston for the duration — staying at the Four Seasons, training at Bentley University in Waltham — and are scheduled to play at least one match at Gillette Stadium (going by "Boston Stadium" during the tournament for sponsorship purposes). Their marquee group stage fixture is June 26 against Norway, which means a direct duel with Erling Haaland in a 3 p.m. kickoff. If France top Group I and win the Round of 32, they'd return to Foxboro for a quarterfinal on July 9.
Mbappe needs one goal to own a record
Kylian Mbappe enters this tournament one goal away from becoming France's all-time top scorer. He's 27, playing for Real Madrid, and just posted 41 goals and 6 assists in a single club season. The logic for backing France largely starts and ends with whether he stays fit and in form — both have been questions at various points in his international career, but right now he looks as sharp as he ever has.
The attack around him has taken a hit, though. Hugo Ekitike, who scored against Brazil in a March friendly at this very stadium, ruptured his Achilles playing for Liverpool in the Champions League on April 15 and won't feature. That's a real loss — not a squad filler, a player Deschamps was clearly building into his plans. Ousmane Dembele also limped off in the 27th minute of a Ligue 1 match on May 17, though early reports were encouraging. France's attacking depth is still strong with Michael Olise and Rayan Cherki available, but the cushion isn't as thick as it was.
In midfield, the Aurelien Tchouameni situation is worth watching. The 26-year-old Real Madrid man is reportedly attracting interest from multiple clubs this summer, which adds a layer of off-pitch noise he'll need to tune out. Warren Zaire-Emery is only 20 and already operating at this level without much fuss. N'Golo Kante, now 35 and at Fenerbahce, remains the one player who changes a team's defensive shape just by being on the pitch — his role in 2018 was the spine of that entire run.
A defence built for a tournament run
France's back line is quietly one of the most complete at this World Cup. William Saliba, Jules Kounde, and Ibrahima Konate form a trio with Champions League and top-five league experience throughout. Maxence Lacroix, the Crystal Palace defender who came through the Sochaux academy alongside Konate, impressed when the pair were paired together against Brazil. That combination could be a genuine asset if Deschamps commits to it.
In goal, Mike Maignan made 106 saves and kept 15 clean sheets for AC Milan across all competitions this season. At 30, he's at his peak. France's title odds aren't driven by goalkeeping, but the platform Maignan provides means they rarely lose cheaply.
France's full 26-man 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 (PSG), Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
- Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Fenerbahce), Manu Kone (AS Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG)
- Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (AS Monaco), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Desire Doue (PSG), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
Two-time World Cup winners — 1998 on home soil, 2018 in Russia — and two-time runners-up (2006, 2022), France haven't missed the tournament since failing to qualify for the 1994 edition, also hosted on US soil. They're in it to correct that 2022 final result. Whether this squad has enough still standing when it matters is the only question left.
