Who will Kylian Mbappe's France face in FIFA World Cup 2026 group stage?

The Les Blues were drawn in Group I.

The much-anticipated FIFA World Cup is closer than ever as the group stage draw has come to a culmination at the John F. Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. The 2026 edition of the World Cup will feature 48 teams for the first time in history and is all set to kick off on June 11th.

The current runners-up French National Football Team, have been drawn into Group I, where fans can expect some interesting matchups. Here’s a deep dive into which teams Kylian Mbappe’s France will face in the FIFA World Cup 2026, along with the players who played a significant role in their qualification to the World Cup.

Opponents in the Group Stage

From Pot 2: Senegal

One of Senegal’s greatest victories in history was against France in the 2002 World Cup, where they defeated the Les Bleus 3-0 in the quarterfinal. After years of near misses, Senegal finally made their mark in World Football, winning the AFCON title in 2021 before reaching the Round of 16 in the 2022 FIFA World Cup. Senegal delivered a dominant qualification campaign, finishing in first place with a record of 7 wins, 3 draws, and 0 losses over 10 matches, accumulating 24 points.

From Pot 3: Norway

Norway are back in the FIFA World Cup for the first time since the 1998 edition of the tournament. The team had their golden era in the 1990s, where they reached their peak as the World number two. Currently placed at the 29th position in the FIFA rankings, Norway would be looking forward to getting past the Round of 16, with their attacking unit spearheaded by Erling Haaland. Norway secured their place at the 2026 FIFA World Cup by finishing as winners of UEFA Group I, with a perfect record of 8 wins in 8 matches.

From Pot 4: Winner of Playoff 2

The winner of Playoff 2 will secure the third spot in Group I. Iraq will look forward to making their second appearance in the FIFA World Cup. They will face the winners of Bolivia vs. Suriname, and the winner will progress to Group I, joining Brazil, Senegal, and Norway.

Head Coach and who got them here?

Didier Deschamps, the 54-year-old manager, has been a familiar face in French Football. Joined on August 7, 2012, the manager has been the backbone of the team for over a decade and has achieved some promising results. Under his tenure, France were crowned the FIFA World Cup 2018 champions and the winner of the UEFA Nations League in 2021.

Didier has also led his side to a runner-up finish in the previous edition of the World Cup and a third-place finish in the Nations League earlier this year. He also holds multiple records under his name, notably the manager with the most number of matches managed and the most wins for the French Football team. The gaffer is the longest-serving coach for Les Blues, and is among the most successful managers in the nation’s history.

Kylian Mbappe

The French National Football team captain, Kylian Mbappe, has played a significant role in the Les Blues qualifying for the FIFA World Cup. The striker, with 5 goals, was the leading goal scorer for his side in the World Cup Qualifiers. Mbappe’s pace, game awareness and physical dominance helped France secure their 17th appearance in the World Cup.

Aurélien Tchouaméni

Tchouaméni was essentially the anchor for France in the midfield during their qualification campaign. The 25-year-old defensive midfielder was instrumental for the Les Blues to dispossess the opponents, break up their attacks, regain possession and ignite the offensive initiatives for his side.

After taking over the position in the midfield since the 2022 World Cup, Tchouaméni has controlled the tempo of the game during crucial instances and was one of the main drivers for securing World Cup qualification.

How did they qualify?

WCQ Record: 5-1-0, 16 pts. / 16 GF, 4 GA (first place in Europe’s Group D)

France secured their berth in the FIFA World Cup 2026 by delivering a near-perfect performance in the UEFA qualification process to comfortably top Group D. Competing against Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan, France displayed their attacking prowess and superiority to finish unbeaten in the group with 16 points in the bag.

The Les Blues confirmed their direct ticket to the finals with a dominant 4-0 victory over Ukraine in November 2025. Finishing as the winners of Group D, they ensured they were one of the twelve European teams to qualify automatically.

Also Read: Brazil group revealed for FIFA World Cup 2026

World Cup History

France’s World Cup participation began early, including an appearance in the inaugural edition of the tournament. However, their defining era of success could be divided into two periods. Their first breakthrough came under Michel Hidalgo, notably finishing fourth in 1982 and third in 1986, led by Michel Platini.

The Les Blues then entered their golden age, defeating Brazil 3-0 in 1998 to clinch their first ever World Cup. Twenty years later, they won their second World Cup, defeating Croatia 4-2 on Russian soil. Since the 2000’s France has been a near-constant contender, reaching the final in 2006 and 2022, making them one of the most successful and consistent World Cup nations in the modern era.

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