With the 2026 FIFA World Cup another week closer, there will be another team in the spotlight. This week, the team is France, the runner-ups of the 2022 contest. Widely regarded as one of the best teams in the tournament, France will be looking for vengeance next year.
If there is one team in the tournament that is likely to wind up in the finals again, it would be France. The team has been in the finals for the past two tournaments, in 2018 and 2022, looking to make it a third next summer at MetLife Stadium. While France suffered a devastating defeat to Argentina in 2022 in one of the most exhilarating FIFA World Cup finals, France defeated Croatia by a score of 4-2 to become world champions.
The team will be led by captain Kylian Mbappé, who scored all three of the team’s goals in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final and is one of the most talented players on the planet. When paired with Ousmane Dembélé, the most recent winner of the Ballon d’Or and many other talented players, France is in a good position to make it far in the tournament once again.
France’s journey to the 2026 FIFA World Cup was efficient, as the team became the second European team to qualify for the tournament. The team has only lost two matches this year, to Spain and Croatia, winning 7 games and finishing with a draw for one.
France is currently ranked as the 3rd best team in the world by FIFA, demonstrating the team’s dominance. Over the past year, France has consistently fluctuated between the second and third spot, maintaining their status as a top team.
France participated in the inaugural 1930 FIFA World Cup, but it wasn’t until 1998 that the team brought home its first trophy. The team has now set its standards to greatness, searching for its third title, the second in less than a decade.
The team’s success has been found outside of the FIFA World Cup, as well, as the team finished in third at the 2024 UEFA Championship, which pits Europe’s top teams against one another. Their high placement there may signify more success in the upcoming tournament.
The team has been coached by Didier Deschamps since July 2012, where he helped the team turn into the powerhouse that they have now become. However, Deschamps announced this year that he will not renew his contract once it expires after the 2026 FIFA World Cup. With this tournament being the last ride for a manager that has brought great success to the country, he will hope to go out on top.
France will enter the 2026 FIFA World Cups as one of the favorites to win the tournament, with their lengthy track record of success in recent years. If the team can make it to MetLife Stadium for their third consecutive finals appearance, it would continue the standard that the team has set.