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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 task fell short from Kylian Mbappé and Co. as Les Bleus reached the semi-finals where they lost to eventual champions Spain. In the bronze final, it once again lost in a 6–4 thriller to England to finish the tournament in fourth place.
The two losses to close 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 win over Senegal and then a 3-0 win over Iraq. A 4-1 win over Norway clinched Group I, followed by a round-of-32 win over Sweden by a score of 3-0. It followed a hard-fought 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-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 tournament’s all-time leading goalscorer.
Mbappé now returns to Real Madrid for his third season at the Spanish powerhouse. He will play under Jose Mourinho, who is back for his second stint as the man in charge at Madrid. Mbappé is 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 certainly helped his teammates do it. Olise finished with seven assists this summer, by far the top contributor of any player in that category. That mark surpassed Pelé’s 1970 record for most assists in a single World Cup since records began in 1966.
Olise was linked with a move to Real Madrid ahead of the tournament but will instead remain at Bayern Munich, where he has thrived and become one of the team’s best players. He has also led the squad to two straight Bundesliga titles.
Ousmane Dembélé was another of France’s attacking stars who shone 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 he showed in flashes at both Barcelona and Borussia Dortmund. He has helped PSG win back-to-back Champions League titles and won the Ballon d’Or in 2025. Look for PSG to dominate the French league again and look for a third consecutive Champions League crown.
