France coach Didier Deschamps announced a 26-man squad on May 14 for the 2026 World Cup, set from June 11 to July 19 [1, 2, 3]. The squad includes nine defenders, five midfielders, and nine forwards, featuring some surprises such as Crystal Palace’s Maxence Lacroix and Jean-Philippe Mateta [1, 2, 3].
Lacroix made a strong debut in March friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, coming in after William Saliba’s injury, with Deschamps saying, "He can play on both the left and right sides of the centre. Having three options in each position is a safety net" [1]. Mateta, a striker described as a "good, typical centre forward" and "effective," scored two goals in his three appearances for France and offers a different style of play to the team [1, 3].
Deschamps, normally naming 23-man squads, increased the roster size to 26 for friendlies earlier this year and this World Cup to provide more security but acknowledged it adds complications in managing the players. He said, "It brings more security, but also more complications in managing the players" and pointed to the changing competition conditions with more matches, higher temperatures, and shorter recovery times [1, 3].
France will face Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in their opening group, a lineup that Deschamps flagged as challenging. Despite France being first in the FIFA rankings, he asked, "Are we more favourites than Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco?" [1]. He stressed the team must focus on the first match and noted the final is still far off: "The result is the most important thing; it’s the highest level, there are expectations. The final is a long way off" and "I know there are expectations. But we'll have some tough opponents in our first three matches. Let's focus on the first one" [1].
The World Cup kicks off June 11, with France preparing to meet their group rivals and manage a strong squad through the summer tournament [3].