France

France enter World Cup 2026 in Group I, where the early tests are Senegal, Norway, and Iraq. France are two-time world champions, winning in 1998 and 2018, and they also reached finals in 2006 and 2022. Few teams enter 2026 with a stronger recent tournament record. The current squad is shaped around Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Aurelien Tchouameni, a core that gives the team recognizable quality in the moments that usually decide group-stage matches: set pieces, transition attacks, and pressure around the box.

For this tournament, the assignment is both tactical and psychological: start quickly, protect the middle of the pitch, and make the group feel uncomfortable before the knockout picture forms. Mbappe gives France the clearest game-breaking weapon in the group. If the midfield balance holds, they should be expected to win Group I and think much bigger. If France can turn its best individual stretches into a full 90-minute platform, the campaign has room to grow beyond a simple participation story.