France: When will Didier Deschamps unveil his squad for the 2026 World Cup?

The 2026 World Cup draw was held last December, and Kylian Mbappe and his teammates already know their opponents: France will start the tournament against Senegal on June 16 at 8pm, in a repeat of Les Bleus' opening fixture at the 2002 World Cup.

Didier Deschamps's side will then face Iraq on June 22 at 10pm, before rounding off their Group I campaign against Erling Haaland's Norway on June 26 at 8pm.

Before then, the France squad will be revealed. But when must Didier Deschamps unveil it?

A May 14 announcement after a Ligue 1 reshuffle

As the manager himself disclosed, the Ligue 1 calendar has contributed to a change in the announcement date. Indeed, the match between the top two teams in the standings was postponed to May 13, the initial date for the squad announcement: “PSG’s match (against Lens in Ligue 1) is scheduled for the evening of the 13th, we will postpone it and it will be on the evening of the 14th.”

It will therefore be on May 14, 2026 that the whole of France will find out the list - and the 26 players who will accompany Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Mike Maignan and William Saliba to the 2026 World Cup in Canada, Mexico and the United States.

Before that date, Deschamps must submit an extended list of 55 names to FIFA by May 13 at the latest. He will then have until June 1 to send his definitive list to the governing body.

Which striker will replace Hugo Ekitike?

Among the questions surrounding the France squad for the 2026 World Cup is the absence of Hugo Ekitike. The former PSG and Reims player has been injured at Liverpool: with his Achilles tendon affected, he will not play again in 2026 and will therefore miss his first World Cup.

Standing out during the March international break, the versatile 23-year-old striker would probably have featured in the attacking rotation this summer, behind Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Olise, alongside Bradley Barcola, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki.

Who will replace him on the list? Several names stand out, including Jean-Philippe Mateta. Less versatile than the Liverpool player, the Crystal Palace striker shone with two goals in his first three caps in late 2025.

His name has therefore been mentioned with growing insistence following his injury-enforced absence in March. After scoring and impressing against Colombia, Marcus Thuram represents another viable option.

Randal Kolo Muani, meanwhile, has been less convincing - both for France and for Spurs - but his versatility and experience, including the 2022 World Cup, place him in pole position.

He is, in principle, ahead of players such as Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), more reserved with France with seven caps and one goal, or Florian Thauvin, dazzling at Lens with 10 goals and seven assists but not called up at the last international break.

Christopher Nkunku (AC Milan), meanwhile, appears to be too far behind in the pecking order.

No surprises are expected in Didier Deschamps' squad list.

Didier Deschamps rarely springs surprises with Les Bleus. The successive squads of the former Marseille, Juventus and Monaco manager show as much: newcomers struggle to break in.

International experience is paramount in the manager's choices, as demonstrated by the recent call-ups of Randal Kolo Muani (27), who has scored only five goals in 36 matches this season at Tottenham and has generally struggled since his transfer to PSG in 2023.

Guy Stephan, Deschamps's assistant, confirmed as much to Ouest-France: "I do not think a player who has never been selected will be going to the World Cup."

In short, the 26 players called up by France will not be a surprise, unless a large number of internationals all suffer injuries at the same moment at the end of the season.

Either way, everyone will know on May 14, the date Didier Deschamps will announce his list.