France revealed its 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on May 14 during a live broadcast on TF1, with coach Didier Deschamps making several notable selections including uncapped goalkeeper Robin Risser [1, 2, 3].
The 21-year-old Risser earned his first call-up following strong performances for Racing Lens, who finished second in Ligue 1 and will compete in the French Cup final this month. He was voted Ligue 1's best goalkeeper in early May 2026, beating out Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas Chevalier who lost his starting spot and has been sidelined by injury since January [1, 2, 3]. Deschamps said of Chevalier, "The main criteria is sporting performance... I understand that Lucas Chevalier may be disappointed, but he hasn't played for several months anymore" [3].
Defender Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has three caps and debuted in October 2025, was chosen to replace injured Hugo Ekitike, out since April with a ruptured Achilles tendon. Mateta was preferred over Randal Kolo Muani [1, 2]. Another Crystal Palace defender, Maxence Lacroix, was selected over Eduardo Camavinga, who missed much of the season with Real Madrid due to injury [1, 2, 3]. Deschamps acknowledged Camavinga's struggles: "He had a difficult season for him where he played less. He also had injuries" [3].
Ten players from France's 2022 World Cup final squad remain, including Lucas Hernandez, N'Golo Kante, and captain Kylian Mbappe. Mbappe leads an attack featuring Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele and rising star Michael Olise [1, 2, 3].
France is drawn into Group I for the World Cup, facing Iraq, Norway, and Senegal in the group stage. The tournament will be held across Canada, Mexico, and the United States from June 11 to July 19, 2026 [1, 2, 3].
