Deschamps Names France's Final 26 for the World Cup: Mbappé Captains, Olise and Cherki Make the Cut
Didier Deschamps has named his final 26-man France squad for the 2026 World Cup. Kylian Mbappé captains a side built around a 4-3-3 with three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and nine attackers. Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Désiré Doué all keep their places in a deep attacking pool.
F rance head coach Didier Deschamps named his final 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup on Thursday evening. The list confirms Kylian Mbappé as captain and runs three goalkeepers, nine defenders, five midfielders and nine attackers, the same shape Deschamps used in the March international window and continues to favour for a North American summer that opens with Les Bleus in their first group game in mid-June.
In goal Deschamps has taken Mike Maignan, Brice Samba and Robin Risser. The defensive line is built around the Arsenal-Liverpool spine of William Saliba and Ibrahima Konaté, with Dayot Upamecano and Maxence Lacroix providing alternative centre-back partnerships. Jules Koundé and Malo Gusto cover right-back, Théo Hernández and Lucas Digne are listed on the left, with Lucas Hernández retained as a third left-sided defender.
The midfield comes in lean at five. N'Golo Kanté is back as the experienced screener, paired with Aurélien Tchouaméni and Manu Koné as box-to-box options. Adrien Rabiot retains his place after a productive club season, and 20-year-old Warren Zaïre-Emery is the youngest midfielder on the list. Deschamps has resisted any temptation to over-rotate in the engine room and is leaning on the same five-name pool he used through qualifying and the spring friendlies.
The attack is where Deschamps has been most generous. Mbappé leads a nine-man forward group that also includes Ousmane Dembélé, Marcus Thuram, Bradley Barcola and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, plus the next generation of Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki, Désiré Doué and Monaco's Maghnès Akliouche. Cherki's inclusion in particular gives Deschamps a left-footed creator profile that the team has lacked at recent tournaments.
France will use the late May and early June window to camp and play warm-up matches before traveling to North America for the tournament opener. The depth of the attacking list, plus Maignan's status as Deschamps' clear number one in goal, leaves the spine of the side largely settled and the competition concentrated in the wide forward roles, where Olise, Cherki and Doué are expected to push the established names through the group stage.