France have advanced to the semi-finals of the World Cup 2026, with growing consensus suggesting this may be the strongest French squad in the country’s history, according to BBC reports. Managed by Didier Deschamps—now in his final tournament in charge—France have demonstrated a blend of depth, attacking flair, and defensive resilience.

Unbeaten Record and Strong Squad

France began the tournament ranked third in the world, behind reigning holders Argentina and European champions Spain; their path to the semi-finals has been marked by a lack of defensive issues, as they have not conceded a goal in the quarter-finals. Former Arsenal captain Patrick Vieira has backed France to reach a third consecutive final, stating: ‘I don’t see anybody stopping the French team going to the final.’

Deschamps, who has led the team since 2012, has already secured the 2018 World Cup and reached the 2022 final, where they lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout. Les Bleus also lost to Portugal in the 2016 European Championship final and were beaten 2-1 by Spain in the Euro 24 semi-finals; Despite these near-misses, the current squad appears to have more depth, with multiple world-class attacking options.

A Talent-Laden Lineup

France’s squad is packed with attacking talent, with former England striker Ian Wright describing the team as ‘one of the most clear favourites for a World Cup tournament I have ever seen.’ Before their game against Morocco, this assessment was widely echoed across the football world. Vieira added that ‘France are a better team today than they were four years ago,’ but does not believe the same is true of Spain, their potential semi-final opponents.

If Spain defeat Belgium in their quarter-final on Friday (20:00 BST), they will face France in the last four in Dallas on Tuesday (20:00 BST), Spain have reached the quarter-finals without conceding a goal, though they began the tournament with a goalless draw against underdogs Cape Verde.

Upcoming Challenges and Squad News

Before the tournament. France faced Northern Ireland in a friendly in Lille on 8 June (20:10 BST); Northern Ireland, led by Michael O’Neill, failed to qualify for the World Cup after losing a play-off semi-final against Italy in March. The friendly was intended as a test against the world’s top-ranked team in the lead-up to the World Cup, this marked Northern Ireland’s first match in France since their memorable Euro 2016 campaign.

France will also play friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in March, having already breezed through qualification with five wins and a draw in matches against Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan. However, Deschamps will be without key forward Hugo Ekitiké, who ruptured his Achilles tendon during Liverpool’s Champions League defeat by Paris St-Germain earlier in the week.

France’s next World Cup group stage matches are against Senegal in New Jersey on 16 June, followed by games against Iraq in Philadelphia and Norway in Massachusetts on 22 and 26 June, respectively. With a squad full of stars and a coach concluding a 14-year tenure, the stage is set for another high-stakes chapter in French football history.