aAs the soccer world looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America, one thing is becoming increasingly clear. That means France will enter the tournament as the team everyone else has to break through.
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Les Bleus, who are ranked third in the latest FIFA standings published on November 19, are fast closing in on Spain and Argentina and are approaching a new era of dominance even faster with the performances of their two star players, Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembele, candidates for the 2025 Best FIFA Football Award.
The numbers, talent and momentum are all pointing in the same direction. France has the most complete, most explosive and most battle-hardened squad on the planet.
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Approaching the top of the world
France not only booked a direct ticket to the 2026 World Cup with wins over Ukraine 4-0 and Faroe Islands 3-1 in November. Argentina closed the gap between the top two teams in the world by 3.33 points, with Spain just a hair behind.
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Improving that is important. This reflects what we already know from eye tests. In other words, this team is on the rise at exactly the right time. They remain the most dangerous team outside the top two, ahead of England, Brazil, Portugal and the Netherlands.
And they will head to the tri-nation World Cup, where large expat communities from France, Africa, the Caribbean and Europe will feel at home in Les Bleus.
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Two players shortlisted for Best FIFA Award
Currently, no national team boasts as brilliant and feared a duo as France. Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappé is in great form and is once again one of the frontrunners for the 2025 FIFA Men’s Player of the Year award. Ousmane Dembele, who just won the Ballon d’Or, is also on the shortlist despite his injury-interrupted season.
It is rare for two players ranked in the world’s top five to be on the same national team. It’s almost unfair that the two are healthy, hungry and at their peak right before the World Cup. And France’s attacks don’t stop there. Not even close. The most stacked attack in international football. Analysts have described it as “unparalleled,” “ridiculous” and even “better than anything club soccer can offer.” That sounds hyperbolic until you look at the talent pool.
Deschamps could start the tournament with a front three of Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembele and Michael Oliseh (one of Europe’s most promising creative talents). Behind them, they have the likes of Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola and Desiree Douye, who could start for most of the top 10 national teams. Simply put, France has two starting-level front lines. And both are better than what most candidates can do.
