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France
UEFA · I1 · Pot 1
Group favouritesGroup I fixtures
Key players to watch
Kylian Mbappé
FW · Real Madrid · C
Captain at his third finals and the most dangerous forward on the planet; 12 World Cup goals already, closing on the all-time records.
Captain · superstar
Ousmane Dembélé
W · PSG
The 2025 Ballon d'Or winner at his peak; pace and directness from the right that force opponents into low blocks.
Ballon d'Or winner
Michael Olise
W · Bayern Munich
A creative, goal-getting wide forward who has become a first-choice attacker; end product to match the flair.
Wide creator
Aurélien Tchouaméni
MF · Real Madrid
The midfield platform; controls and protects, allowing the attackers to roam. A near-certain starter.
Midfield base
William Saliba
CB · Arsenal
Elite, composed centre-back anchoring a defence stacked with Premier League and European pedigree.
Defensive rock
Mike Maignan
GK · AC Milan
Commanding, top-class goalkeeper and a calming presence behind a strong back line.
Elite keeper
Goals & output
An embarrassment of riches: Mbappé spearheads, with Dembélé, Olise, Marcus Thuram, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki in support. Few sides in history have arrived with this much attacking depth.
Set-piece duties
Penalties
Kylian Mbappé
Free kicks
Mbappé / Dembélé
Corners
Shared
Mbappé takes penalties and many free kicks, with Dembélé another dead-ball option. With so much quality in open play, set pieces are a useful extra rather than the main weapon.
Discipline read
▲Controlled and experienced; cards tend to be tactical. Deep talent means rotation keeps legs fresh and tempers in check.
Recent form
World champions in 2018 and runners-up in 2022 (beaten by Argentina on penalties), France top the FIFA rankings and cruised through qualifying. This is Didier Deschamps' farewell tournament — he steps down afterwards, with Zinedine Zidane widely expected to succeed him. Eduardo Camavinga was the headline omission.
Head-to-head history
v Senegal (16 Jun)
Lost 1-0 at 2002 WC
A heavyweight opener with history — Senegal famously beat France 1-0 in the 2002 World Cup opener. A blockbuster start in New Jersey.
v Iraq (22 Jun)
No prior meetings
A first meeting; France would be overwhelming favourites in Philadelphia.
v Norway (26 Jun)
Negligible history
Little meaningful record; a potentially decisive final-day game against Haaland's Norway in Boston.
Underdog & betting read
The verdict
Clear Group I winners and genuine contenders to win the whole thing, with unmatched squad depth. The only mild worry is Mbappé's fitness after an injury-affected season. Short prices to top the group are well justified.