Predicted France XI at the 2026 World Cup

France have been the most feared force in international football for well over a decade now. They reached the final of the 2022 World Cup and won it in 2018 – how will Les Bleus get on in 2026?

Today, we’ll be taking a look at how France might line up at the tournament. We have included players from Barcelona, Real Madrid and Arsenal, amongst others – can you guess who they are?

GK: Mike Maignan

AC Milan’s Mike Maignan will be run very close by Lucas Chevalier for the honour of being France’s number one – but with so much at stake, Didier Deschamps is more likely to go for experience over youth in this case.

A phenomenal shot-stopper, Maignan has been a worthy successor to Hugo Lloris – one might even suggest that he has surpassed the Tottenham Hotspur legend.

RB: Jules Kounde

France’s right-back position seems like a lock at the moment. Jules Kounde has had a strong season with Barcelona – he is one of the world’s most in-demand players as things stand.

An excellent defender who can contain even the most talented of wingers, he can also function as a centre-back – this sort of pliability is very important at international tournaments.

CB: William Saliba

William Saliba is one of the best defenders in the world at the moment. While Gabriel often takes the headlines for Arsenal, Saliba does a lot of the dirty defensive work that often goes unnoticed.

His positioning is consistently perfect – furthermore, he is also a brilliant tackler. As a centre-back, he can do practically everything.

CB: Loic Bade

We’re picking a left-field option as Saliba’s centre-back partner. Loic Bade has been in top form since the turn of the year, picking up four clean sheets in a row for Bayer Leverkusen in the month of January.

A tall, strong defender with decent technical ability, we think he is the best available option to line up alongside Saliba as things stand.

LB: Theo Hernandez

Theo Hernandez might currently play for Al-Hilal in the Saudi Pro League, but he still remains one of the best left-backs in the world.

Al-Hilal are currently top of the division, with Hernandez starting in all of their league games so far. He has scored seven goals this season, notching up two assists along the way.

CM: Aurelien Tchouameni

Aurelien Tchouameni is a complete midfielder – he is a fantastic defender who also possesses an impressive range of passing from the centre of midfield.

A dip in form led him to be disincluded from the France squad for a period of time, but injuries to key players have given him the perfect opportunity to represent his country once again.

CM: Warren Zaire-Emery

While Tchouameni will add the brawn to France’s midfield, Warren Zaire-Emery can provide the brains. A wonderfully creative and energetic midfielder, the World Cup will be a perfect opportunity for him to turn himself into a household name.

A neat and tidy passer of the ball, Zaire-Emery has become a regular member of PSG’s starting XI this season at just 19 years of age.

RW: Michael Olise

Michael Olise has arguably turned into the best winger in the world since joining Bayern Munich from Crystal Palace. A fantastic goalscorer and an even better assist maker, Olise is untouchable at the moment.

He isn’t the quickest – he often plays as an attacking midfielder, instead – but his magnetic dribbling ability and peerless crossing leave him somewhat wasted as a number ten.

AM: Rayan Cherki

Rayan Cherki only has four senior France caps to his name, but he is certainly good value for his place in the team – he has been absolutely phenomenal in his debut season at Manchester City.

He drifts into space like an experienced professional, but also possesses all the youthful energy of a player his age. He has scored nine goals and has racked up as many assists across all competitions this season.

LW: Ousmane Dembele

As the most recent winner of the Ballon d’Or, Ousmane Dembele is almost definitely going to make it into France’s starting XI at the 2026 World Cup.

His form hasn’t been quite as impressive this season, but scoring eight goals and racking up four assists in 14 Ligue 1 games is no mean feat.

ST: Kylian Mbappe

We might have taken a few creative liberties in this XI, but we must attempt to retain a sense of realism. Whether he is the best option or not, Kylian Mbappe will almost certainly be starting as France’s lone striker at the World Cup.

In his defence, it’s hard to disagree. With a goalscoring tally of 38 goals in 30 games this season, the Real Madrid ace has been on fire in 2025/26.