France 2026 World Cup Preview - Can Didier Deschamps Bring the Trophy Back to Paris?
France enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as a top favorite, featuring a star-studded squad led by Kylian Mbappé. With Didier Deschamps set to conclude his successful tenure after the tournament, Les Bleus look strong across all positions, especially in attack. Drawn into Group I with Senegal, Norway, and Iraq, France faces a favorable path to the finals. Betting markets back France for top group honors and a deep run, with Mbappé tipped for the Golden Boot. Key recommendation: expect France to top Group I and go deep.
- France are one of the favourites to win the 2026 World Cup
- Didier Deschamps has a top class squad at his disposoal
- Kylian Mbappe leads a devastating attack including Ousmane Dembele
France enters the 2026 FIFA World Cup as the one of the favourites, powered by a star-studded front line led by Kylian Mbappe.
- World Cup History
- The Road to 2026 - Formidable Form
- The Manager - Didier Deschamps
- The Squad - World Class Attack
- Group I Schedule and Path to the Final
- 2026 World Cup Winner Betting Odds
- Group I - Straight Forecast Betting Odds
- Group I Exact Finish Order Odds
- 2026 World Cup To Reach The Final Betting Odds
- 2026 World Cup Top Goalscorer Betting Odds
Manager Didier Deschamps continues his long, steady tenure by balancing a top class defence, a veteran in midfield and a luxury of options up front.
Les Bleus has no problems in the qualifiers before friendly victories over Brazil and Colombia. Drawn into Group I alongside Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, France are well placed to go deep.
World Cup History
France broke through on home soil in 1998 and bounced back from a final appearance in 2006 to secure glory in Russia in 2018.
Les Bleus beat England 2-1 in the quarter-finals in Qatar 202 before a 2-0 victory over Morocco. Kylian Mbappe's hat-trick against Argentina took the final to 3-3 and a penalty shootout where they came up second best.
| Year | Host | Stage |
|---|---|---|
| 1930 | Uruguay | Group Stage |
| 1934 | Italy | Round of 16 |
| 1938 | France | Quarter-finals |
| 1954 | Switzerland | Group Stage |
| 1958 | Sweden | Third Place |
| 1966 | England | Group Stage |
| 1978 | Argentina | Group Stage |
| 1982 | Spain | Fourth Place |
| 1986 | Mexico | Third Place |
| 1998 | France | Champions |
| 2002 | South Korea/Japan | Group Stage |
| 2006 | Germany | Runners-up |
| 2010 | South Africa | Group Stage |
| 2014 | Brazil | Quarter-finals |
| 2018 | Russia | Champions |
| 2022 | Qatar | Runners-up |
The Road to 2026 - Formidable Form
France strolled through their UEFA qualifying campaign, finishing well ahead of Ukraine, Iceland and Azerbaijan. The only slip up came in a 2-2 draw in Reykjavik.
Kylian Mbappe scored five goals in the campaign, three ahead of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise.
Le Bleus won two friendlies in March, defeating Brazil 2-1 before a 3-1 victory against Colombia.
The Manager - Didier Deschamps
Didier Deschamps is one three people to win the World Cup as a player and a manager and one of the most successful international managers of the modern era.
Having held the reins since 2012, France have reached three of the last four major tournament finals under his leadership.
The 57-year-old is renowned for his pragmatism, defensive stability and proven ability to navigate the physical and mental fatigue in tournament football.
Deschamps has officially announced that he will be stepping down after the World Cup, saying: "It will end there because it has to end at some point. It's clear in my mind. I have done my time, with the same desire, the same passion to keep the France team at the highest level, but 2026 is good."
The Squad - World Class Attack
With a formidable central defence including William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano and N'Golo Kante acting as a shield, France have the stability to let their forward line shine.
Deschamps has arguably the most explosive attacking arsenal in the world, superstars such as Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele and Kylian Mbappe set to play leading roles.
Only Olivier Giroud (57) has scored more than Mbappe's 56 goals for France.
Lucas Hernandez, Kante and Mbappe are the three players to survive from France's 2018 World Cup-winning team. The manager spoke about the absence of Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani who were involved in 2022.
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.
"I've got decisions to make and a squad to put together. It's a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It's about balance and how the team comes together."
| Pos | Player | Age | Caps | Goals |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GK | Brice Samba | 32 | 4 | 0 |
| GK | Mike Maignan | 30 | 38 | 0 |
| GK | Robin Risser | 21 | 0 | 0 |
| DF | Malo Gusto | 23 | 9 | 0 |
| DF | Lucas Digne | 32 | 56 | 0 |
| DF | Dayot Upamecano | 27 | 36 | 2 |
| DF | Jules Kounde | 27 | 46 | 0 |
| DF | Ibrahima Konate | 27 | 27 | 0 |
| DF | William Saliba | 25 | 31 | 0 |
| DF | Theo Hernandez | 28 | 42 | 2 |
| DF | Lucas Hernandez | 30 | 41 | 0 |
| DF | Maxence Lacroix | 26 | 2 | 0 |
| MF | Manu Kone | 25 | 12 | 0 |
| MF | Aurelien Tchouameni | 26 | 44 | 3 |
| MF | N'Golo Kante | 35 | 67 | 2 |
| MF | Adrien Rabiot | 31 | 57 | 7 |
| MF | Warren Zaire-Emery | 20 | 10 | 1 |
| FW | Ousmane Dembele | 29 | 58 | 7 |
| FW | Marcus Thuram | 28 | 33 | 3 |
| FW | Kylian Mbappe | 27 | 96 | 56 |
| FW | Michael Olise | 24 | 15 | 4 |
| FW | Bradley Barcola | 23 | 18 | 3 |
| FW | Desire Doue | 20 | 6 | 2 |
| FW | Jean-Philippe Mateta | 28 | 3 | 2 |
| FW | Rayan Cherki | 22 | 5 | 1 |
| FW | Maghnes Akliouche | 24 | 7 | 1 |
*Caps and goals are correct as of 28 May 2026 before the friendly against Ivory Coast
Predicted XI (4-2-3-1): Mike Maignan; Jules Kounde, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba, Lucas Digne; N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone; Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram; Kylian Mbappe
Group I Schedule and Path to the Final
France begin their campaign against a dangerous Senegal side before an easier task against Iraq. Norway have a dangerous team led by Martin Odegaard and Erling Haaland.
| Date | Opponent | Venue |
|---|---|---|
| June 16 | Senegal | MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford |
| June 22 | Iraq | Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia |
| June 26 | Norway | Gillette Stadium, Foxborough |
Topping Group I would place Les Bleus on an simple path to the Round of 16 where Germany, Ivory Coast and Ecuador are possible opponents.
Netherlands could await in the quarter-finals with Spain a likely adversary in the semi-finals.
2026 World Cup Winner Betting Odds
France enters the tournament as tight second favourites, just behind Spain and narrlowly ahead of England.
| Team | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spain | 5.50 |
| France | 6.00 |
| England | 7.00 |
| Brazil | 9.00 |
| Argentina | 9.00 |
| Portugal | 11.00 |
| Germany | 15.00 |
| Netherlands | 21.00 |
| Norway | 26.00 |
| Belgium | 34.00 |
| Colombia | 34.00 |
| Japan | 51.00 |
| Morocco | 51.00 |
| USA | 67.00 |
| Uruguay | 67.00 |
| Switzerland | 81.00 |
| Mexico | 81.00 |
| Croatia | 81.00 |
| Turkey | 81.00 |
| Ecuador | 101.00 |
| Senegal | 101.00 |
Group I - Straight Forecast Betting Odds
France are short-priced favourites to top Group I which brings the straight forecast market into play.
Norway are ranked second in the market, but Senegal have a top quality side that should not be under estimated.
| First/Second | Odds |
|---|---|
| France/Norway |
2.25 |
| France/Senegal |
4.00 |
| Norway/France |
5.00 |
| Senegal/France |
12.00 |
| Norway/Senegal |
15.00 |
| Senegal/Norway |
19.00 |
Source: Bet365 and correct on 27 May 2026
Group I Exact Finish Order Odds
France and Iraq are widely expected to finish top and bottom. The exact finish order market is an interesting one with Norway and Senegal battling it out for second spot.
| 1st/2nd/3rd/4th | Odds |
|---|---|
| France/Norway/Senegal/Iraq |
3.20 |
| France/Senegal/Norway/Iraq |
4.50 |
| Norway/France/Senegal/Iraq |
6.50 |
| France/Norway/Iraq/Senegal |
8.00 |
| Senegal/France/Norway/Iraq |
14.00 |
| France/Senegal/Iraq/Norway |
15.00 |
Source: PaddyPower and correct on 28 May 2026
2026 World Cup To Reach The Final Betting Odds
The reach the final market is topped by Spain and France who are set for a semi-final showdown. There could be value in the bottom half of the draw.
| Teams | Odds |
|---|---|
| Spain |
3.25 |
| France |
3.75 |
| England |
4.00 |
| Brazil |
5.00 |
| Argentina |
5.00 |
| Portugal |
5.50 |
| Germany |
6.50 |
| Netherlands |
9.00 |
| Norway |
11.00 |
| Belgium |
15.00 |
| Colombia |
15.00 |
| Switzerland |
21.00 |
| Morocco |
23.00 |
| USA |
23.00 |
| Japan |
23.00 |
| Uruguay |
23.00 |
| Mexico |
26.00 |
| Turkey |
26.00 |
| Croatia |
29.00 |
| Ecuador |
34.00 |
| Sweden |
51.00 |
| Senegal |
51.00 |
| Austria |
51.00 |
| Canada |
51.00 |
| Paraguay |
51.00 |
Source: Stake.com and correct on 28 May 2026
2026 World Cup Top Goalscorer Betting Odds
Kylian Mbappe leads the betting markets to retain his Golden Boot crown after top scoring in Qatar, his eight goals one more than Lionel Messi.
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Kylian Mbappe | 7.00 |
| Harry Kane | 8.00 |
| Lionel Messi | 13.00 |
| Erling Haaland | 15.00 |
| Lamine Yamal | 15.00 |
| Mikel Oyarzabal | 17.00 |
| Cristiano Ronaldo | 21.00 |
| Ousmane Dembele | 21.00 |
| Vinicius Junior | 26.00 |
| Lautaro Martinez | 26.00 |
| Raphinha | 29.00 |
| Julian Alvarez | 34.00 |
| Romelu Lukaku | 34.00 |
| Kai Havertz | 34.00 |
| Nick Woltemade | 34.00 |
| Luis Suarez | 34.00 |
| Igor Thiago | 34.00 |
| Bukayo Saka | 34.00 |
| Ollie Watkins | 34.00 |
| Michael Olise | 41.00 |
| Cody Gakpo | 41.00 |
| Ferran Torres | 41.00 |
| Bruno Fernandes | 41.00 |
| Florian Wirtz | 41.00 |
| Neymar | 41.00 |
| Jude Bellingham | 41.00 |
| Memphis Depay | 51.00 |
| Marcus Thuram | 51.00 |
| Desire Doue | 51.00 |
| Serge Gnabry | 51.00 |
| Enner Valencia | 51.00 |
| Luis Diaz | 51.00 |
| Viktor Gyokeres | 51.00 |
| Dani Olmo | 51.00 |
| Mohamed Salah | 51.00 |
| Morgan Rogers | 51.00 |
| Donyell Malen | 51.00 |
| Nico Williams | 51.00 |
| Goncalo Ramos | 51.00 |
| Marcus Rashford | 51.00 |
| Lois Openda | 67.00 |
| Jamal Musiala | 67.00 |
| Matheus Cunha | 67.00 |
| Leroy Sane | 67.00 |
| Alexander Isak | 67.00 |
| Deniz Undav | 81.00 |
| Alexander Sorloth | 81.00 |
Verdict
I am expecting France to top Group I and Senegal to finish ahead of Norway in second spot.
Les Bleus have more than enough talent to reach a fifth final in their previous eight World Cups. Kylian Mbappe has unfinished business after a hat-trick in the 2022 final, expect him to be a key player.
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