The winners of the last World Cup in 2018, France will be determined to retain the crown, although they will have to fare considerably better than they did at Euro 2020, when they were knocked out at the Round of 16 stage by Switzerland.
If PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe is at his best then it could make all the difference for Les Bleus, and there is plenty of other international experience also in Didier Deschamps’ talented squad.
France won the 2020-2021 UEFA Nations League by beating Spain in the final and if they can perform as a cohesive unit then they will certainly be amongst the leading contenders for glory again in Qatar.
Their group prospects could well set them up nicely for a run deep into the latter stages, after they were handed one of the potentially easier pools.
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France World Cup draw Group D
The reigning world champions will come up against Denmark, Tunisia and the winner of the intercontinental playoff between United Arab Emirates/Australia and Peru.
Facing Denmark in the group stages for the second World Cup in a row — following a 0-0 draw at Russia 2018 — will be a tough test, given the Danes reached the semifinals of the European Championships last year.
Tunisia edged out Mali in their final qualifying tie, but come into the group with a combative side and hopes of causing an upset.
The clash between Peru and either United Arab Emirates/Australia is scheduled for June, to decide who fills the final Group D spot.
World Cup Group D table & fixtures
| Team | PTS | GP | W | L | D | GF | GA | GD |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| D1: France | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D2: AUS/UAE/PER* | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D3: Denmark | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| D4: Tunisia | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
* = Intercontinental Playoff winner (Peru vs. Australia/United Arab Emirates)
Group D match schedule
| Date | Match | Time (ET) | Stadium |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | Denmark vs. Tunisia | 8 a.m. | Education City |
| Tue, Nov. 22 | France vs. AUS/UAE/PER | 2 p.m. | Al Janoub |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | Tunisia vs. AUS/UAE/PER | 5 a.m. | Al Janoub |
| Sat, Nov. 26 | France vs. Denmark | 11 a.m. | Stadium 974 |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | Tunisia vs. France | 10 a.m. | Education City |
| Wed, Nov. 30 | AUS/UAE/PER vs. Denmark | 10 a.m. | Al Janoub |
MORE: How does the World Cup draw work in 2022?
France World Cup groups all-time
| Year | 1st Place | 2nd Place | 3rd place | 4th place |
| 2018 | France | Denmark | Peru | Australia |
| 2014 | France | Switzerland | Ecuador | Honduras |
| 2010 | Uruguay | Mexico | South Africa | France |
| 2006 | Switzerland | France | South Africa | Togo |
| 2002 | Denmark | Senegal | Uruguay | France |
| 1998 | France | Denmark | South Africa | Saudi Arabia |
| 1986 | Soviet Union | France | Hungary | Canada |
| 1982 | England | France | Czechoslovakia | Kuwait |
| 1978 | Italy | Argentina | France | Hungary |
| 1966 | England | Uruguay | Mexico | France |
| 1958 | France | Yugoslavia | Paraguay | Scotland |
| 1954 | Brazil | Yugoslavia | France | Mexico |
| 1938 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1934 | n/a | n/a | n/a | n/a |
| 1930 | Argentina | Chile | France | Mexico |
France World Cup snapshot
- Current FIFA World Ranking: No. 3 (March 2022)
- World Cup titles: 2
- World Cup appearances (last): 15 (Russia 2018)
- How qualified W-L-D: UEFA Group D winners 5-0-3 (18/3)
- Record in 2021 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 10-0-6 (36/12)
- Record in 2022 W-L-D (Goals Scored/Allowed): 2-0-0 (7/1)
In making his 1️⃣0️⃣3️⃣rd appearance for Les Bleus, @antogriezmann equals Didier Deschamps' number of caps for France 🇫🇷🤝#FRACIV #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/pQWOBICyF7
— French Team ⭐⭐ (@FrenchTeam) March 25, 2022
France 2022 FIFA World Cup preview
Mbappe is the most world-renowned star in the France squad, but he is one of many who could make a difference at the World Cup.
Goalkeeper Hugo Lloris boasts vast experience between the sticks, while Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante and Karim Benzema will lead from the front in the Gulf region.
- Star Players: Paul Pogba, Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema.
- Players to Watch: Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga, Jules Kounde.
- Players to play in WCQ: 38
- Players in Top 5 Euro leagues (% of WCQ pool): 100%
France squad
Strengths
- Counter-attacking speed
- Depth of quality in all positions that other national teams don't have
- World-class strikeforce (Benzema, Mbappe, Griezmann, Giroud, Ben Yedder)
Weaknesses
- Lack of traditional No. 10
- Loyalty to certain players
- Over-reliance on Mbappe
Regular starting XI (formation: 3-4-1-2):
Lloris (GK) — Varane, Kounde, Kimpembe — Pavard, Pogba, Tchouameni, T. Hernandez — Griezmann — Benzema, Mbappe
| Name | Position | Age | Club | Apps/Goals |
| Hugo Lloris | GK | 35 | Tottenham | 137/0 |
| Steve Mandanda | GK | 36 | Marseille | 34/0 |
| Benoit Costil | GK | 34 | Bordeaux | 1/0 |
| Mike Maignan | GK | 26 | AC Milan | 2/0 |
| Alphonse Areola | GK | 29 | West Ham | 3/0 |
| Benjamin Pavard | RB | 25 | Bayern Munich | 42/2 |
| Presnel Kimpembe | CB | 26 | PSG | 26/0 |
| Jules Kounde | CB | 23 | Sevilla | 9/0 |
| Dayot Upamecano | CB | 23 | Bayern Munich | 6/1 |
| Raphael Varane | CB | 28 | Man Utd | 85/5 |
| Clement Lenglet | CB | 26 | Barcelona | 15/1 |
| Nordi Mukiele | CB | 24 | RB Leipzig | 1/0 |
| Leo Dubois | RB | 27 | Lyon | 13/0 |
| Kurt Zouma | CB | 27 | West Ham | 11/1 |
| Lucas Digne | LB | 28 | Aston Villa | 43/0 |
| Ferland Mendy | LB | 26 | Real Madrid | 7/0 |
| Theo Hernandez | LB | 24 | AC Milan | 5/1 |
| Lucas Hernandez | LB | 26 | Bayern Munich | 31/0 |
| Jordan Veretout | CM | 29 | Roma | 5/0 |
| Paul Pogba | CM | 29 | Manchester United | 91/11 |
| Thomas Lemar | LW/CM | 26 | Atletico Madrid | 27/4 |
| Aurelien Tchouameni | CM | 22 | Monaco | 8/1 |
| Corentin Tolisso | CM | 27 | Bayern Munich | 28/2 |
| N'Golo Kante | CM | 30 | Chelsea | 52/2 |
| Tanguy Ndombele | CM/CAM | 25 | Lyon | 7/0 |
| Adrien Rabiot | CM | 26 | Juventus | 24/1 |
| Moussa Sissoko | CM | 32 | Watford | 71/2 |
| Matteo Guendouzi | CM | 22 | Marseille | 3/1 |
| Moussa Diaby | LW | 22 | Bayer Leverkusen | 5/0 |
| Antoine Griezmann | ST | 31 | Atletico Madrid | 104/42 |
| Anthony Martial | LW/ST | 26 | Sevilla | 30/2 |
| Wissam Ben Yedder | ST | 31 | Monaco | 18/3 |
| Olivier Giroud | ST | 35 | AC Milan | 112/48 |
| Karim Benzema | ST | 34 | Real Madrid | 94/36 |
| Kylian Mbappe | ST | 23 | PSG | 53/24 |
| Ousmane Dembele | RW | 24 | Barcelona | 27/4 |
| Kingsley Coman | RW | 25 | Bayern Munich | 37/5 |
Who is France's head coach?
- Manager: Didier Deschamps (France)
- Date hired: July 8, 2012
- Record as national team manager (W-L-D): 83-24-19.
- Major titles since hire: FIFA World Cup 2018, UEFA Nations League 2021.
- Notable victories: 4-3 vs. Argentina FIFA World Cup 2018, 1-0 vs. Belgium World Cup Semi-Final 2018, 4-2 vs Croatia World Cup Final 2018, 2-1 vs. Spain UEFA Nations League 2021.
Deschamps has been in charge of France since 2012 and has had quite an impact on the national team. The 1998 World Cup-winning captain has brought great success to Les Bleus, repeating that triumph as a coach in 2018 before rebounding from Euro 2021 disappointment with 2021 Nations League success.
Under his stewardship, France also reached the final of Euro 2016, losing 1-0 to Portugal. The main problems Deschamps experiences usually come back to whether or not he can select the right combinations from the plethora of options at his disposal.
MORE: Teams qualified to 2022 World Cup
France World Cup qualifying results
France finished in first place in UEFA Group D on 18 points, winning five of their eight fixtures in an unbeaten campaign.
They thrashed Kazakhstan by a whopping score of 8-0, one of three consecutive victories to finish qualifying after being held twice by Ukraine in the first five matches.
| Date | Opponent | H/A | Result | Score |
| 24/03/21 | Ukraine | H | Draw | 1-1 |
| 28/03/21 | Kazakhstan | A | Win | 2-0 |
| 31/03/21 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | A | Win | 1-0 |
| 01/09/21 | Bosnia-Herzegovina | H | Draw | 1-1 |
| 04/09/21 | Ukraine | A | Draw | 1-1 |
| 07/09/21 | Finland | H | Win | 2-0 |
| 13/11/21 | Kazakhstan | H | Win | 8-0 |
| 16/11/21 | Finland | A | Win | 2-0 |
France's World Cup Qualifying Leaders
| Category | Leader | Total |
| Goals | Antoine Griezmann | 6 |
| Assists | Mbappe, Coman, T. Hernandez | 2 |
| Appearances | Lloris, Griezmann | 8 |
| Minutes | Hugo Lloris | 720 |