Mbappe
In the summer of 1998, at the Stade de France, a water carrier lifted the World Cup. Didier Deschamps — the man Eric Cantona once said you could find on every street corner — had captained France to the greatest night in the nation's sporting history. He did it, by his own admission, by passing the ball to somebody else. "For every 10 balls I play," Deschamps said, "I gave nine to him."
"Him" was Zinedine Zidane, who scored twice in the final against Brazil and became, overnight, the most famous person in France. More recognizable than the president. His face was projected onto the Arc de Triomphe that night, the words "Zidane Président" shimmering alongside "Merci Zizou." At the Élysée palace, in the presence of Jacques Chirac, the crowd chanted the same thing. "Le Roi" (The King). Not Chirac — Zidane.
Six months later, on December 20, a boy named Kylian Mbappé was born in Bondy, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. He is now 27 and the captain. On May 14, Deschamps named Mbappé in his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup. It will be Deschamps' last.
Deschamps has been in charge since 2012, when he replaced Laurent Blanc — 14 years that produced a World Cup title in Russia, a Euro 2016 final lost to Portugal, and a 2022 World Cup final lost to Argentina on penalties in a match where Mbappé scored a hat-trick, dragged France back from 2-0 down, and still finished on the losing side. He is one of only three men in history to have won the World Cup as both player and manager, alongside Brazil's Mário Zagallo and Germany's Franz Beckenbauer. He announced in January 2025 that this would be the end.
"In 2026 it will be over," he told TF1. "In my head it's very clear. I've done my time." When asked about France's chances, he was careful. "I'm not going to hide and say we're not among the teams with the potential to become world champions. But there are eight, maybe 10 teams that can say that. It's not by shouting: 'We're the best, we're the strongest.'"
Zidane — 53 now, three Champions League titles as Real Madrid's manager — is the overwhelming favorite to succeed him. The water carrier and the king, together in 1998, connected again in 2026 by a handover that has felt inevitable for years. Every French football conversation about the future leads to the same name. But that is next summer's story. This summer still belongs to Deschamps.
Nine forwards. That is the number Deschamps has chosen to take to North America, and it tells you everything about the embarrassment of options available and the difficulty of leaving anyone out.
Mbappé leads the line in his third World Cup. In 96 appearances for his country, he has scored 56 times — one behind Olivier Giroud's all-time France record of 57. His 12 World Cup goals put him four behind Miroslav Klose's all-time tournament record of 16, with both marks within reach if France go deep. In March, he scored against Brazil in a friendly in Foxborough; against Colombia four days later, a stoppage-time goal was ruled out. The record will wait. It will probably not wait long.
Behind him, Ousmane Dembélé of PSG arrives as the reigning Ballon d'Or winner. On May 30 — 17 days before France open their group against Senegal — Dembélé and four of his PSG teammates will play Arsenal in the Champions League final at the Puskás Aréna in Budapest. PSG are the defending champions, chasing a second consecutive title. Dembélé is central to both campaigns.
The depth is extraordinary. Michael Olise of Bayern Munich was on the other side of PSG's semifinal. Marcus Thuram of Inter Milan has scored in every competition this season. Désiré Doué, 21, scored twice against Colombia in France's final pre-tournament friendly, won Ligue 1 Young Player of the Year for the second consecutive season — only the third player after Eden Hazard and Mbappé to do so — and looks certain to start. Rayan Cherki earns his first World Cup selection after a breakthrough season at Manchester City. Jean-Philippe Mateta of Crystal Palace was recalled at the expense of Randal Kolo Muani — the man who, four years ago, came within inches of becoming a national hero in the 2022 final. Maghnes Akliouche of Monaco and Bradley Barcola of PSG complete the group. The problem, for Deschamps, is not who plays. It is who sits.
The midfield pairing that will define this squad is a study in contrasts. N'Golo Kanté is 35, playing his club football at Fenerbahçe in Turkey, and somehow remains indispensable to the national team — not out of nostalgia, but because what Kanté does, the covering and the interceptions and the quiet relentlessness, has no obvious replacement. Aurélien Tchouaméni of Real Madrid anchors the midfield beside him. Warren Zaïre-Emery of PSG, at 20 the youngest player in the squad, is the most likely third midfielder — 15 years separating him from Kanté.
The center-back options are absurd. William Saliba starts for Arsenal, who are chasing a Premier League and Champions League double. Ibrahima Konaté starts for Liverpool. Dayot Upamecano starts for Bayern Munich. Jules Koundé starts for Barcelona. Four center-backs, four clubs, four different leagues, all competing for European trophies. Theo Hernández, now at Al-Hilal after leaving AC Milan, provides attacking thrust from left-back. Maxence Lacroix of Crystal Palace is the surprise inclusion — quietly impressive without attracting the headlines his teammates command.
In goal, Mike Maignan of AC Milan is the undisputed number one. The story, though, is Robin Risser: 21, never capped, named Ligue 1 Goalkeeper of the Year, here only because Lucas Chevalier suffered a thigh injury that ruled him out. The door opened by misfortune, and Risser walked through it. Deschamps' final squad announcement is, for Risser, the first.
Eduardo Camavinga's absence is the headline omission. The Real Madrid midfielder had a difficult season — fewer minutes, injuries, a red card in the Champions League quarterfinal against Bayern Munich. "He had a difficult season for him where he played less," Deschamps said. "He is still a young player." Kolo Muani's exclusion carries more weight: he scored against Morocco in the 2022 semifinal, came agonizingly close to winning the final, and has spent this season on a dismal loan at Tottenham from PSG. Mateta was preferred. "It's a squad," Deschamps said. "Not necessarily the 26 best players."
The squad
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Rennes), Robin Risser (Lens)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernández (PSG), Theo 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 (PSG)
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Désiré Doué (PSG), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
France are the world's top-ranked side. They open against Senegal on June 16 at MetLife Stadium in New York — then Iraq in Philadelphia, then Norway in Boston. If all goes perfectly, the final is at MetLife Stadium on July 19.
Between now and then, the Champions League final. Between now and then, the last pre-tournament camp. Between now and then, the work of turning 26 individuals — scattered across Real Madrid and Fenerbahçe, Arsenal and Al-Hilal, Inter Milan and Lens — into a team capable of winning seven games in 39 days.
France have done it before. In 1998, with the water carrier leading them. In 2018, with the water carrier managing them. This is his last chance to do it again.
And when it's done — however it ends — Zizou will be waiting.