France coach Didier Deschamps will be hoping to become only the second coach to win two World Cups, as he takes charge of a star-packed French team for one last time in this summer's tournament. 

Deschamps appears to have all the tools at his disposal to emulate the so-far unmatched feat of Italy's Vittorio Pozzo. The French boast a hugely talented squad that includes Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué alongside skipper Kylian Mbappé.

France will be looking to erase the memory of its underwhelming showing at Euro 2024. There, the team struggled to score from open play, eventually exiting at the semifinal stage.

How did France qualify? 

France eased through qualification, winning five of its six games in UEFA Group D. Les Bleus only dropped points with a draw against Iceland and sealed its place in the tournament with a 4-0 win against second-placed Ukraine back in November.

Who is France's manager?  

After a 14-year stint in charge, this summer's tournament is set to bring down the curtain on Didier Deschamps' tenure as France's head coach. The former Marseille and Juventus midfielder became only the third man to win the tournament as a player and a manager when he led Les Bleus to their 2018 World Cup triumph, 20 years after he hoisted the famous trophy as captain. 

The 57-year-old has led France to two other major tournaments during his time as boss, finishing runner-up to Portugal on home soil at Euro 2016, and seeing his side lose to Lionel Messi's Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final in Qatar. He also oversaw France's 2021 Nations League title.

Who is France's key player?  

Many football fans will quite fairly argue that Bayern Munich's in-form Michael Olise is set to be the Les Bleus star who will make the biggest impact during this summer's tournament. But it's also hard to overlook captain Kylian Mbappé for that title, thanks to a huge motivating factor.

This summer's tournament marks the third World Cup that the Real Madrid star has appeared in. The 27-year-old is in line to surpass German star Miroslav Klose's goalscoring record of 16 in 24 matches over four tournaments; Mbappé has so far clocked up 12 goals in 14 matches on the world's biggest stage.   

Who is France's young player to watch? 

In a French side that isn't short of pace, PSG youngster Désiré Doué stands out as the most explosive and direct attacking threat in Deschamps' formidable squad.

The 21-year-old right-sided forward scored seven goals and registered three assists in PSG's Ligue 1 title win this season, as well as bagging a further five goals in its UEFA Champions League triumph. He's well primed to cap what has been a superb season for the Parisians with a star turn in this tournament. 

France's full 2026 World Cup squad 

Goalkeepers

• Mike Maignan (AC Milan) 
• Robin Risser (Lens) 
• Brice Samba (Lens)
  

Defenders

• Lucas Digne (Aston Villa) 
• Malo Gusto (Chelsea) 
• Lucas Hernández (Paris Saint-Germain) 
• Théo Hernández (Al-Hilal) 
• Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool) 
• Jules Koundé (Barcelona) 
• Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace) 
• William Saliba (Arsenal) 
• Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)
  

Midfielders

• N'Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe) 
• Manu Koné (Roma) 
• Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan) 
• Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid) 
• Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards

• Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco) 
• Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain) 
• Rayan Cherki (Manchester City) 
• Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain)
• Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain) 
• Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace) 
• Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid) 
• Michael Olise (Bayern Munich) 
• Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)

France's World Cup 2026 Group I fixture list and US TV schedule

Tuesday, June 16
France vs. Senegal
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
Stadium: New York New Jersey Stadium (MetLife Stadium, East Rutherford, New Jersey)
US TV: Fox, Telemundo 

Monday, June 22
France vs. Iraq
Kickoff: 5 p.m. ET, 2 p.m. PT
Stadium: Philadelphia Stadium (Lincoln Financial Field, Philadelphia)
US TV: Fox, Telemundo

Friday, June 26
France vs. Norway
Kickoff: 3 p.m. ET, 12 p.m. PT
Stadium: Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium, Foxborough, Massachusetts)
US TV: Fox, Telemundo

How to watch the 2026 World Cup using a VPN for free

If you're traveling abroad and want to keep up with all the World Cup action while away from home, a VPN can help enhance your privacy and security when streaming. 

It encrypts your traffic and prevents your internet service provider from throttling your speeds. Additionally, it can be helpful when connecting to public Wi-Fi networks while traveling, providing an extra layer of protection for your devices and logins. VPNs are legal in many countries, including the US and Canada, and can be used for legitimate purposes such as improving online privacy and security. 

Read more: You Can Stream Every World Cup Match With a VPN. Here's How

However, some streaming services may have policies restricting VPN use to access region-specific content. If you're considering a VPN for streaming, check the platform's terms of service to ensure compliance. 

If you choose to use a VPN, follow the provider's installation instructions to ensure you're connected securely and in compliance with applicable laws and service agreements. Some streaming platforms may block access when a VPN is detected, so verify whether your streaming subscription allows VPN use.

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How to livestream France's 2026 World Cup matches in the US

Exclusive English live broadcast rights for every World Cup 2026 match are with Fox, with games to be shown on Fox and FS1. If you don't have access to either channel in your cable lineup, there are several alternatives. A number of major live TV streaming services, such as YouTube TV and Hulu Plus Live TV, carry both channels, but the cheapest option for most cord-cutters is the Fox One streaming app.

Fox's direct-to-consumer streaming service launched in August last year. Fox One costs $20 a month or $200 a year and gives you access to Fox's complete TV portfolio, including sports-related channels such as Fox Deportes, Fox Sports, B1G, FS1, FS2 and local Fox stations.

You can watch Fox and FS1 on Fubo via the service's $74-per-month Pro Plan. Click here to see which local channels you get in your region with Fubo.

For $83 a month, YouTube TV's standard plan will get you Fox and FS1 along with a wide array of other channels. Plug in your ZIP code on YouTube TV's welcome page to see which local networks are available in your area.

DirecTV's MySports genre package includes access to both channels. If you're a new customer, you can get a discounted rate of $50 a month for your first two months, before the cost reverts to $70 a month. You can use its channel lookup tool to see which local channels are available where you live.

Livestream France's 2026 World Cup matches in the US in Spanish 

Spanish-language broadcast rights in the US are with NBCUniversal, with Telemundo set to show 92 games, and the remaining 12 will be broadcast on Universo. All content will be available to stream on Peacock, with the service set to offer Dolby Vision HDR and Dolby Atmos sound. 

Peacock currently costs $11 per month for the ad-supported Peacock Premium plan and $17 per month for the ad-free Peacock Premium Plus plan.