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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 the 2018 victory).
The quest fell short of Kylian Mbappé and Co. as Les Bleus reached the semifinals where it lost to eventual champions Spain. In the bronze final, it lost once again in a 6-4 thriller to England to finish the tournament in fourth place.
The two losses to close out the tournament were a bitter way to end what had been a showcase of talent for France. It opened up group stage with a 3-1 win over Senegal and then a 3-0 victory over Iraq. A 4-1 win over Norway clinched Group I, followed by a round of 32 win over Sweden by a scoreline of 3-0. That followed a tough 1-0 win over Paraguay in the round of 16 and then a 2-0 win over Morocco in the quarterfinals.
So what’s next for France’s top players after the 2026 World Cup?
It was a record-breaking summer for Mbappé even if he fell short of winning his second career World Cup. With 10 goals, he secured the Golden Boot Award for the tournament’s most prolific goalscorer. And with 22 World Cup goals across his three appearances, he is the all-time leading goalscorer at the tournament.
Mbappé now returns to Real Madrid for his third season at the Spanish powerhouse. He’ll play under Jose Mourinho, who is back for his second stint as the man in charge in Madrid. Mbappé has yet to win either the LaLiga title or the Champions League, which he hopes he can finally do this season.
Michael Olise may not have found the back of the net at the World Cup, but he definitely helped his teammates do so. Olise finished with seven assists this summer, by far the top contributor of any player in that category. That mark surpassed Pelé’s record in 1970 for the most assists in a single World Cup since records began in 1966.
Olise was linked to a move to Real Madrid prior to the tournament but instead will remain at Bayern Munich, where he has thrived and become one of the team’s top performing players. He’s also led the squad to two straight Bundesliga titles.
Ousmane Dembélé was another one of France’s attacking stars who shined during the summer. He scored a hat trick against Norway, becoming the third player (Just Fontaine, Kylian Mbappé) to do so. He finished the tournament with five goals – only Fontaine and Mbappé have reached that mark.
Dembélé returns to Paris Saint-Germain, where the winger has finally realized the potential that he showed in flashes at both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. He’s helped PSG win consecutive Champions League titles and won the 2025 Ballon d’Or. Look for PSG to dominate the French league once again and eye a third straight Champions League crown.
