France coach Didier Deschamps acknowledged his side are among the favorites for the World Cup but urged his players to focus on their opening opponents before considering progressing deeper into the tournament.
Deschamps named his 26-man squad on Thursday for next month’s tournament, where the country starts against Senegal and also meets Iraq and Norway in his group.
“France is first in the FIFA rankings, but are we more favorites than Spain, Portugal, Germany, England, Argentina, Brazil, Morocco?” he asked at a press conference after announcing the team.
«I know there are expectations. But we will have some tough opponents in our first three games. Let’s concentrate on the first one. The result is the most important thing; it is the highest level, there are expectations. The final is still far away,» Deschamps added.
The French coach provided only mild surprises to his squad, with an uncapped third-choice goalkeeper and the inclusion of Crystal Palace pair of defenders Maxence Lacroix and striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.
“He was very good in March after (William) Saliba’s injury,” Deschamps said of Lacroix’s debut against Brazil and subsequent performance against Colombia.
«He can play on the left or on the right of the centre. Having three options in each position is a safety net. With this squad of nine defenders, five midfielders and nine forwards we have different profiles, such as Mateta, who has been effective for us and has good statistics at his club.»
«He is a good, typical striker, effective, with two goals in three games with us. Good in the air and a penalty area attacker, who can move even if he does not regularly get close to the touchline. A different profile and an option that can also be useful,» the coach added about Mateta.
Deschamps said he was used to working with a 23-man squad but brought 26 players with him for the friendlies against Brazil and Colombia, hosted in Boston and Washington DC in March.
«It brings more security, but also more complications in managing the players. If we have 23 players, there are already three or four who are not playing, so 26 will require more attention from my staff. Everyone wants to play, but some will not necessarily play. But the competition has changed, with more matches, the temperatures and the recovery time between matches,» he added.
Published on May 15, 2026
