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France entered the 2026 World Cup as one of the favorites to lift the trophy after two consecutive appearances in the final (including winning in 2018).
The quest did not succeed in reaching Kylian Mbappé and Co since the Blues reached the semi-finals where they lost against Spain, future champion. In the bronze final, she again lost in a thriller 6–4 to England to finish the tournament in fourth place.
The two defeats that closed the tournament were a bitter way to end what had been a showcase of talent for France. It opened the group stage with a 3-1 victory over Senegal then a 3-0 victory over Iraq. A 4–1 victory over Norway won Group I, followed by a round of 16 victory over Sweden by a score of 3–0. This followed a tough 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 and then a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarter-finals.
So, what’s next for France’s top players after the 2026 World Cup?
It was a record summer for Mbappé, even if he failed to win his second career World Cup. With 10 goals, he won the Golden Boot as the tournament’s top scorer. And with 22 World Cup goals in three appearances, he is the tournament’s all-time top scorer.
Mbappé now returns to Real Madrid for his third season with the Spanish powerhouse. He will play under the management of José Mourinho, who is back for his second spell in charge of Madrid. Mbappé has yet to win either the La Liga title or the Champions League, something he hopes he can finally do this season.
Michael Olise may not have found the net at the World Cup, but he certainly helped his teammates get there. Olise finished with seven assists this summer, easily the best contributor of any player in this category. This mark surpassed Pelé’s 1970 record for the most assists in a single World Cup since records began in 1966.
Olise was linked with a move to Real Madrid before the tournament, but will remain at Bayern Munich, where he has thrived and become one of the team’s most successful players. He also led the team to two consecutive Bundesliga titles.
Ousmane Dembélé was another of the French offensive stars who shone this summer. He scored a hat-trick against Norway, becoming the third player (Just Fontaine, Kylian Mbappé) to achieve this feat. He finished the tournament with five goals – only Fontaine and Mbappé reached that figure.
Dembélé returns to Paris Saint-Germain, where the winger has finally realized the potential he flashed at Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. He helped PSG win back-to-back Champions League titles and win the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Expect PSG to dominate the French championship again and aim for a third consecutive Champions League crown.
