FRANCE ★★

France is a two-time World Cup champion (1998, 2018) and the 2022 finalist. At the 2026 World Cup, France plays in Group I against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway. Head coach Didier Deschamps has been in charge since 2012 (a record tenure); he was also captain of the 1998 winning side — the only person in history to win the World Cup both as a player and as a coach. In January 2025 he announced 2026 will be his last tournament at the helm; his successor is Zinedine Zidane. The biggest stars: Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

In 1998 France hosted its first World Cup. In the final at the Stade de France against Brazil, Zinedine Zidane scored twice with headers from corners — 3:0. The win united the country: the next day Paris hosted a "Black-Blanc-Beur" (Black, White, Arab) parade, a symbol of the new multicultural France. Twenty years later in Russia, Deschamps's team won a second title, beating Croatia 4:2 in Moscow. In 2022 in Qatar, France came close to a third title — Mbappé scored a hat-trick in the final — but lost to Argentina on penalties.

Qualifying went without trouble — seven wins from eight matches. At Euro 2024, France reached the semifinal before losing to eventual champions Spain. Deschamps has assembled the 2018-2026 generation in its peak phase. In Group I, the main challenger is Norway with Erling Haaland. Matches are in San Francisco, Houston, and Atlanta. Beyond the group, possible matchups are England in the quarterfinal and Germany in the semifinal.

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