Before the actual list that Didier Deschamps will present on Thursday, Le Figaro invited you to choose the 26 players who will represent France in the World Cup this summer. Discover the results.
For almost two months, over 13,500 readers have replaced Didier Deschamps to create a list of 26 players selected for the French national team for the 2026 World Cup. Before the official list is announced by the French coach on Thursday evening on TF1, check out the results position by position (poll closed on Wednesday at 2 p.m.).
In the goalkeeper category with three options, Mike Maignan was the clear choice (95% of the votes), followed by Brice Samba (67%) and Lucas Chevalier (58%). The former Lille player, currently injured and a backup at Paris Saint-Germain, was surprisingly preferred over Lens’ Robin Risser (37%), who was named the best goalkeeper of the Ligue 1 season at the UNFP awards. Alphonse Areola finished further behind (24%).
Defense saw the likes of Dayot Upamecano (92%), William Saliba (89%), Jules Koundé (85%), and Ibrahima Konaté (85%) being selected by a high percentage of voters. The full-backs Lucas Digne (76%) and Malo Gusto (65%) were also popular choices, while the Hernandez brothers, Lucas (67%) and Théo (47%), edged out Maxence Lacroix (35%), who didn’t make the cut. Clément Lenglet (21%), Benjamin Pavard (20%), and the surprising inclusion of Matthieu Udol (17%) from Lens did not make the final list either.
The midfield required strong choices as only six players could be selected. The chosen ones included Aurélien Tchouaméni (90%), Warren Zaïre-Emery (90%), Adrien Rabiot (90%), N’Golo Kanté (80%), and Eduardo Camavinga (61%). Despite being a key player in the 2018 World Cup-winning team, Corentin Tolisso (40% of the votes) did not impress the majority, who favored Manu Konaté (56%). Paul Pogba (5%), who is struggling at AS Monaco, was far from a call-up in the voters’ minds.
In the forward category with nine options, Ousmane Dembélé (97%), Désiré Doué (97%), and Michael Olise (96%) received more votes than the captain of the French team Kylian Mbappé (95%). The selection included Bradley Barcola (92%), Rayan Cherki (86%), Maghnes Akliouche (65%), and Marcus Thuram (54%).
Florian Thauvin (43%) secured a spot as the 9th choice following Hugo Ekitike’s withdrawal, opting over the potential returnee Antoine Griezmann (35%) and the absentee Randal Kolo Muani (20%). Players like Jean-Philippe Mateta (18%), Kingsley Coman (17%), Olivier Giroud (16%), and even Karim Benzema (5%) did not attract enough votes. Regardless, the final list, as seen below, looks impressive.
The list of the 26 selected French players for the World Cup by Le Figaro readers:
- Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Rennes), Lucas Chevalier (PSG)
- Defenders: Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), William Saliba (Arsenal), Jules Koundé (FC Barcelona), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Lucas Hernandez (PSG), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Théo Hernandez (Al-Hilal)
- Midfielders: Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), N’Golo Kanté (Al-Ittihad), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Manu Konaté (AS Roma)
- Forwards: Ousmane Dembélé (PSG), Désiré Doué (PSG), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Bradley Barcola (PSG), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Maghnes Akliouche (AS Monaco), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan), Florian Thauvin (RC Lens)
