France World Cup 2026 team guide

This article is part of the Guardian’s 2026 World Cup Experts’ Network , a cooperation between some of the best media organisations from the 48 countries who qualified. theguardian.com is running previews from three countries each day in the run-up to the tournament kicking off on 11 June. The plan “It is a pain to watch, but it makes you win,” is perhaps the most succinct summary of France under Didier Deschamps. The words were Antoine Griezmann’s during Euro 2024 – a competition in which Les Bleus reached the semi-finals. However, goals were hard to come by and in the defeat against Spain Randal Kolo Muani became their only player to score from open play. The other three goals came from the penalty spot or own goals. Granted, this was France at their most conservative. The boundaries of Deschamps’s approach, it seems, were being tested. The metaphorical handbrake was released during France’s tour of the US in March as his side scored five goals in two games against Brazil and Colombia. During that trip, Deschamps said he wanted his team to be “less predictable and readable”, but would their defensive solidity be sacrificed for attacking flair? “At times, we’ve been a bit on the limit,” he said. …