Didier Deschamps announced his 26-man France squad for the FIFA World Cup 2026 on May 14 — and in what will be his final ever selection as Les Bleus manager, the decisions he made have ignited fierce debate across French football.
Deschamps skipped the traditional 55-player preliminary list entirely, going straight to the 26 names from France heading to North America. The result is a squad dripping with attacking talent — nine forwards, nine defenders, five midfielders and three goalkeepers — but one that leaves some significant reputations behind.
From a Real Madrid midfielder paying the price for a nightmare season to an uncapped goalkeeper earning a fairytale call-up, here are the five biggest talking points from the France squad for World Cup 2026.
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Eduardo Camavinga Dropped — Real Madrid’s Nightmare Season Follows Him To The National Team
The headline omission. Eduardo Camavinga, a 2022 World Cup finalist who came off the bench in that extraordinary final against Argentina, has been left out of the France squad for World Cup 2026.
Deschamps was direct about it. “His season cost him his place. Injuries as well,” the manager said in his press conference. “The competition for the position is very tough. Cama is among those disappointed. He’s still young. He was here in March. I don’t doubt what he’s capable of. But today, he has every right to be upset with me. I understand.”
The numbers back the decision. Camavinga started just 23 matches across all competitions for Real Madrid in 2025-26, a season where the club finished without major silverware under Álvaro Arbeloa. He ranked as the 11th-most used outfield player in the squad. The midfield hierarchy in France’s setup — N’Golo Kanté, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot, Warren Zaïre-Emery, and Manu Koné — had already moved past him during the March international window, where Camavinga did not start either game against Brazil or Colombia.
At 23, Camavinga has time. But this is a defining moment — the kind that forces a player to reassess where he is, what he needs, and whether a move away from Real Madrid is the answer.
N’Golo Kanté’s Quiet Return — And Why Deschamps Trusts Him Over Younger Options
One of the most fascinating subplots in the France squad for World Cup 2026 is the continued presence of N’Golo Kanté, now 35 and playing for Fenerbahçe in the Turkish Süper Lig.
Kanté’s inclusion, particularly at the expense of Camavinga, tells you everything about how Deschamps thinks. This is a manager who has always prioritised players who have delivered under tournament pressure over players who might be in better form on paper. Kanté’s World Cup pedigree — a driving force behind the 2018 triumph and a key presence in Qatar — gives him a standing that no amount of Süper Lig debate can erode in Deschamps’ mind.
The question is whether Kanté’s legs can sustain three group-stage games and a potential knockout run across the vast distances and summer heat of North America. At his best, he remains one of the most intelligent defensive midfielders in world football. But this World Cup will test whether intelligence can compensate for the physical decline that comes with age and a less demanding league environment. Alongside Tchouaméni, Rabiot, Zaïre-Emery and Manu Koné, Kanté completes a midfield unit that blends experience with emerging talent — but only five midfielders for a World Cup squad is a notably lean number by any standard.
Mateta In, Kolo Muani Out — And The Ghost Of The 2022 Final
Randal Kolo Muani’s absence from the France squad for World Cup 2026 carries a particular sting. This is the man who came within inches of winning the 2022 World Cup final for France, his stoppage-time shot brilliantly saved by Emiliano Martínez. He scored in the semi-final against Morocco. He has been a Deschamps loyalist through two major tournaments. None of it was enough.
The numbers made the decision easy. Kolo Muani has scored just one Premier League goal in 25 appearances during a miserable loan spell at Tottenham, who are fighting a relegation battle. His shooting accuracy sits at a grim 18.75% in the league. At 27, this is no longer a player adjusting to a new environment — it’s a player in genuine crisis of confidence.
In his place, Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta gets the call. Mateta’s international CV is thin — just three senior caps — but it includes goals in all three knockout rounds at the 2024 Paris Olympics, plus two goals in his first three caps late last year. He is a pure penalty-box striker: physical, aerially dominant, and direct. Whether that profile fits alongside Mbappé and Dembélé in a fluid attacking system is the tactical question Deschamps will need to answer, but in terms of current form, Mateta has earned his seat on the plane.
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Robin Risser’s Fairytale — An Uncapped Goalkeeper Heads To The World Cup
Every World Cup squad needs a story like this. Robin Risser, the 21-year-old Lens goalkeeper who has never been capped by France at senior level, has been named in the squad as the third-choice goalkeeper behind Mike Maignan and Brice Samba.
Risser’s inclusion became possible because PSG’s Lucas Chevalier was ruled out after a thigh injury. Chevalier lost his starting spot to Matvei Safonov at PSG earlier in the season and hadn’t played since January, which weakened his case even before the injury confirmed it. Deschamps acknowledged the disappointment Chevalier must feel but pointed to the lack of recent game time as the decisive factor.
For Risser, the timing could not be more perfect. He was named Ligue 1’s best goalkeeper earlier this week after a season where he helped make Lens the second-best defence in the French top flight. He may never play a minute at the World Cup — that is the reality of being a third-choice goalkeeper — but the call-up validates a breakthrough season and puts his name on a stage that could define his career trajectory for years.
The other notable goalkeeper absence is Hugo Lloris. The 39-year-old, now at LAFC in MLS, retired from international football in 2023 and was France’s starting goalkeeper at three consecutive World Cups. His era is definitively over.
Nine Forwards, Five Midfielders — Deschamps Goes All-In On Attack
Deschamps has always been accused of pragmatism over flair, of building teams designed to grind out results rather than entertain. The composition of this France squad for World Cup 2026 tells a different story — or at least suggests that when you have this much attacking talent, even the most cautious manager surrenders to it.
Nine forwards: Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Maghnes Akliouche, Marcus Thuram, and Jean-Philippe Mateta. That is an absurd depth of quality. Mbappé, one goal away from becoming France’s all-time top scorer, leads the line at his third World Cup. Dembélé arrives as the reigning Ballon d’Or winner. Olise, who has been sensational for Bayern Munich, is a genuine 2026 Ballon d’Or contender in his own right. Behind them, Cherki has been one of the Premier League’s standout performers at Manchester City, while Doué and Barcola represent PSG’s next generation.
The trade-off is clear: only five midfielders. Deschamps is betting that his defensive structure — anchored by a nine-man backline featuring William Saliba, Jules Koundé, Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano, and Maxence Lacroix — is robust enough to allow the attack to carry the creative burden. It is a squad built to outscore opponents rather than stifle them, and for a manager entering his final tournament, it feels like a statement of intent.
France’s Group I campaign opens against Senegal on June 16 in New Jersey, followed by Iraq in Philadelphia on June 22 and Norway in Boston on June 26. On paper, it is a kind draw — but Deschamps knows better than most that World Cups are not won on paper.
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Notable Absentees Beyond Camavinga and Kolo Muani
The France squad for World Cup 2026 also misses several other prominent names. For casual football watchers, the absence of Antoine Griezmann might raise a few queries. Hugo Ekitike, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during Liverpool’s Champions League quarter-final against PSG in April, was ruled out months before the announcement. And Christopher Nkunku, whose career has been plagued by ill-timed injuries at major tournaments, also missed the cut.
France’s Full 26-Man Squad for FIFA World Cup 2026:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Rennes), Robin Risser (Lens)
Defenders: William Saliba (Arsenal), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Lucas Hernández (PSG), Theo Hernández (Al-Hilal), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace)
Midfielders: Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Manu Koné (Inter Milan), Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG)
Forwards: Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Désiré Doué (PSG), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)
Group I Schedule:
- June 16: France vs Senegal — MetLife Stadium, New Jersey
- June 22: France vs Iraq — Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia
- June 26: France vs Norway — Gillette Stadium, Boston
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