CONTEST : World Cup 2026 - Favorite football player's & Countries?
https://www.goal.com/en-ng/lists/france-squad-world-cup-2026/blt2ef80742e1dba871
Wa Alaikum Assalam! Thanks for putting this contest together — there's no better time for it than right now, with World Cup 2026 already underway across the US, Mexico, and Canada.
My pick for favorite football-playing country is France, and this tournament is giving me even more reasons to back that choice.
France enters this World Cup led by captain Kylian Mbappé, facing Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in Group I (European Qualifiers) , and they wasted no time making a statement.
They opened their campaign with a win over Senegal (World Cup Pass), exactly the kind of start a tournament favorite needs. France enter as one of the favourites, with a squad that still looks stronger than most on paper (European Qualifiers) , and watching them in this group feels like watching a team that knows exactly what it's chasing.
This will also be a historic send-off. It's the final tournament for manager Didier Deschamps, who has been in charge of France for 13 years and confirmed he won't extend his contract afterward.
Deschamps is one of only three men to lift the World Cup as both a player, in 1998, and a manager, in 2018 (Olympics) , which gives this campaign a real sense of legacy. France are chasing a third star for that famous rooster crest (World Cup Pass) , and doing it under the coach who already delivered one of the previous two feels fitting.
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Of course, the heart of why I follow France comes down to the players, and this squad has no shortage of stars.
Kylian Mbappé is the obvious centerpiece. Now 27, he won the World Cup at his first attempt back in 2018, scoring four goals as a 19-year-old, including one in the 4-2 final win over Croatia.
He made his breakthrough at Monaco before winning six league titles at Paris Saint-Germain, and has been at Real Madrid since 2024.
What stands out most is the numbers: he could earn his 100th France cap at this World Cup and has already passed Just Fontaine's long-standing national World Cup scoring record, with 14 goals in total.
Watching him lead this team as captain, at this stage of his career, feels like watching someone fully stepping into his prime on the biggest stage there is.
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Beyond Mbappé, this squad is loaded. Names like Dembélé, Olise, Koundé, Kanté, Doué, and Thuram (HEAVY) round out a roster that has depth at every position. Michael Olise in particular has been heating up at just the right time — he scored a hat-trick in France's final pre-tournament friendly, a 3-1 win over Northern Ireland (World Cup Pass).
That kind of form heading into the group stage is exactly why France looks so dangerous right now.
What I love about this team is the same thing I've always loved about French football: the balance. It's not just flashy attacking talent with nothing behind it.
France conceded just four goals across their entire qualifying campaign, the joint-best defensive record in European qualifying (Sporting Life), and their most impressive qualifying performance was a 4-0 win over Italy in Paris, where their midfield control suffocated the Azzurri (Sporting Life).
That mix of defensive discipline and attacking firepower is rare, and France has built a squad capable of grinding out tough matches and still finding moments of brilliance when it matters.
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There's also something special about following a team with this much continuity at the top. Deschamps' France have reached four of the last five major tournament finals, a record of consistency unmatched in modern international football (Sporting Life).
Whatever happens in the knockout rounds this time, that track record is part of why I trust this team every time the World Cup comes around. So that's my answer for this contest.
France earns my support through a captain putting together one of the great individual World Cup careers, a coach closing out a legendary tenure on the biggest stage, and a squad deep enough to compete with anyone left in this tournament.
I'm excited to see how far Les Bleus go from here, and even more excited to read everyone else's picks. Allez les Bleus!
I invite @bossj23 @kinggen @sahmie @ab-rich23 to participate on this contest
