France are preparing for their 17th FIFA World Cup appearance and their eighth consecutive qualification.
Les Bleus have been one of world football’s strongest nations over the last three decades, winning the tournament in 1998 and 2018.
After finishing runners-up at Qatar 2022, France will head to FIFA World Cup 2026™ aiming to reach a third straight final and chase a third world title.
Didier Deschamps has been central to France’s greatest World Cup achievements.
He captained France to glory in 1998 before coaching the national team to another World Cup title in 2018.
As one of the few men to win the World Cup as both player and coach, Deschamps will look to end his long reign with one final historic campaign in North America.
France secured qualification on 13 November 2025 with a dominant 4-0 victory over Ukraine at Parc des Princes.
Kylian Mbappe scored twice in that match, taking his international goal tally to 55 and leading France confidently toward the tournament.
Les Bleus finished qualifying unbeaten, scoring 16 goals and conceding only four.
Mbappe was once again their key attacking figure, while Michael Olise, Jean-Philippe Mateta and several others also contributed important goals.
France took part in the first-ever FIFA World Cup in Uruguay 1930.
After a long journey across the sea, Les Bleus defeated Mexico 4-1 in their opening match.
Lucien Laurent made history by scoring the first goal in FIFA World Cup history.
Although France were eliminated in the group stage after narrow defeats to Argentina and Chile, their place in World Cup history was already secured.
France reached a second consecutive World Cup final at Qatar 2022.
Kylian Mbappe produced a legendary performance in the final against Argentina, scoring a hat-trick in a dramatic 3-3 draw after extra time.
However, Argentina won the penalty shootout, leaving France with heartbreak despite another brilliant tournament run.
Mbappe finished as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals and won the adidas Golden Boot.
France have experienced many iconic moments throughout their World Cup history.
In 1958, Just Fontaine and Raymond Kopa inspired France to third place in Sweden.
In 1998, Zinedine Zidane’s golden generation lifted the trophy on home soil after a famous 3-0 victory over Brazil in the final.
In 2018, France became world champions for the second time after defeating Croatia 4-2 in Russia, powered by standout performances from Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe, Paul Pogba and Samuel Umtiti.
Just Fontaine remains France’s all-time leading World Cup scorer with 13 goals.
All 13 goals came during the 1958 tournament, a record that still stands as the highest goal tally by any player in a single World Cup edition.
Kylian Mbappe has already scored 12 World Cup goals across 2018 and 2022, meaning he could break Fontaine’s French record at FIFA World Cup 2026.
Hugo Lloris holds France’s record for most FIFA World Cup appearances with 20 matches.
The former France captain played across four tournaments from 2010 to 2022 and lifted the trophy as captain in 2018.
Mbappe currently has 14 World Cup appearances and could challenge the record if France make another deep run in 2026.
With world-class talent, proven tournament experience and Didier Deschamps preparing for one final World Cup campaign, France enter FIFA World Cup 2026™ as one of the major contenders.
Les Bleus will aim to erase the pain of Qatar 2022 and fight for a third star on their shirt.
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