France coach Didier Deschamps has named his 26-man squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, to be held across the United States, Canada and Mexico this summer, with Kylian Mbappé and Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembélé headlining a formidable attacking lineup. The announcement, made on French television on Thursday evening, marks Deschamps' fourth and final World Cup as manager of Les Bleus — a role he has held since 2012.
Despite a thigh injury that caused him to miss several matches in Real Madrid's recent La Liga campaign, Mbappé, 27, is included and expected to captain the side. He is joined in attack by Dembélé of Paris Saint-Germain, PSG's Désiré Doué, Bayern Munich winger Michael Olise, and Rayan Cherki — the 22-year-old Manchester City playmaker who will make his World Cup debut after a breakout season in the Premier League. Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace, who scored eleven league goals this season, earns his place as cover following the tournament withdrawal of Hugo Ekitike, who suffered a serious Achilles tendon injury. Deschamps described the squad as one built on balance rather than simply selecting the 26 best individuals available.
Notable absentees include Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, left out due to a disrupted season blighted by injury, and Randal Kolo Muani, who misses out despite holding 32 international caps. Robin Risser, goalkeeper at Lens and voted the best keeper in Ligue 1 this season, receives his first senior call-up. Of the survivors from France's World Cup-winning squad in Russia in 2018, only Mbappé, Dembélé, Lucas Hernandez and N'Golo Kanté remain in the fold eight years on.
France, the top-ranked team in the FIFA world rankings, are placed in Group I alongside Senegal, Iraq and Norway. Their tournament opens on 16 June against Senegal at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey. Before departing for their base camp in Boston, France will play two warm-up matches at home — against Ivory Coast on 4 June in Nantes, and Northern Ireland on 8 June in Lille.
The depth of France's attacking options — nine forwards were selected — reinforces why many observers view Les Bleus as one of the tournament's leading contenders. France were runners-up at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar, losing to Argentina on penalties in the final. Deschamps, who won the tournament as a player in 1998 and as coach in 2018, has made clear he intends to bow out on the highest possible note. Zinédine Zidane, who lifted the trophy alongside Deschamps as a player in 1998, has been widely mentioned as a potential successor once the tournament concludes.