France Football Team Players – Current Squad, Stars and Legends (2026)

The France national team is coached by Zinedine Zidane and captained by Kylian Mbappé. Key France football team players include goalkeeper Mike Maignan, defenders Jules Koundé and Dayot Upamecano, midfielders Adrien Rabiot and Eduardo Camavinga, and forwards Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise and Désiré Doué. The full 23-player squad is listed below.

France is one of the great football nations in the world, with two World Cup titles, a conveyor belt of young talent and a squad full of players from the biggest clubs in Europe. The national team has also just entered a new era: Didier Deschamps left after the 2026 World Cup, and Zinedine Zidane, the great playmaker of the 1998 champions, took over. This guide lists the current France national team players, explains who is in charge and how the squad was built, and looks at the records and legends who made Les Bleus famous. For a wider look at the best players in the world, you can also read our article on the world's best football player in 2022, which covers Mbappé and Benzema.

France National Football Team at a Glance

France Football Team Players: Current Squad

The squad below was named by Zidane on 18 September 2026 for the UEFA Nations League matches against Turkey, Belgium, Italy and Belgium again. It is his first squad as head coach, and it includes 15 players from the 2026 World Cup group as well as several new faces. The caps are as they stood when the squad was announced.

Goalkeepers

Defenders

Midfielders

Forwards

Squads change with every international window because of form and injuries, so treat this list as a snapshot. The French Football Federation announces each new squad shortly before the matches, and you can follow it on the FIFA website and on major sports news sites such as Yahoo Sports.

Where Do the France Players Play?

One of the most striking features of this squad is how widely spread it is across Europe's top leagues. Of the 23 players called up in September 2026, six play in France's Ligue 1, six in Italy's Serie A, five in the English Premier League, four in Spain's La Liga and two in Germany's Bundesliga.

Key France National Team Players to Know

Kylian Mbappé: captain and record scorer

Kylian Mbappé is the face of the team. Zidane confirmed him as captain after naming his first squad, saying he can play across the front three and that he particularly likes him on the left. Mbappé led France at the 2026 World Cup and finished as the tournament's top scorer with ten goals, even though France lost to Spain in the semi-final. In June 2026 he passed Olivier Giroud to become France's all-time leading goalscorer, and reference sites now list him at around 67 goals. He had 106 caps when the autumn squad was announced, and he also holds the record for most World Cup appearances by a French player.

Ousmane Dembélé: the Ballon d'Or winner

Dembélé won the Ballon d'Or in 2025 after an outstanding season with Paris Saint-Germain, and he remains one of the most dangerous attackers in the squad. With 67 caps he is a regular starter for Les Bleus, and his pace and dribbling give Zidane a different threat from Mbappé's.

Michael Olise, Désiré Doué and Bradley Barcola

These three represent the new wave of French attackers. Olise plays for Bayern Munich, Doué for Paris Saint-Germain and Barcola for Liverpool, and together they give France options on both wings. Zidane has said he wants players who have earned their place with club form, and all three have been consistent.

Mike Maignan and the defence

Mike Maignan of AC Milan is the first-choice goalkeeper, with 48 caps. In front of him, Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano and Ibrahima Konaté are largely the first-choice defenders. When Konaté picked up a knee problem, Manchester United's Leny Yoro was called up for a first senior squad.

Midfield: Rabiot, Camavinga and new faces

Adrien Rabiot, with 69 caps, keeps his place as a trusted veteran of the Deschamps years, and Eduardo Camavinga returns to the group. Zidane has also called up Como captain Lucas Da Cunha, who has helped his club reach the UEFA Champions League, and Rayan Cherki of Manchester City, who adds creativity.

The new striker: Esteban Lepaul

One of the most interesting call-ups is Esteban Lepaul. The Rennes striker was the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season with 21 goals, and he earned his first France call-up for it. It shows that Zidane is willing to reward form even for players who are new to the international scene.

Notable Players Left Out

The squad also tells a story through its omissions. N'Golo Kanté, Théo Hernandez and Jean-Philippe Mateta were not included, and goalkeeper Brice Samba was also left out. Aurélien Tchouaméni was not picked while recovering from injury, and Chelsea full-back Malo Gusto missed out. Maghnes Akliouche was initially left out too, but was called up later to replace the injured Zaïre-Emery. These choices suggest that Zidane is shaping a squad that looks ahead to Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

France at the 2026 World Cup and the Change of Coach

France went into the 2026 World Cup in North America as one of the favourites, and reached the semi-finals before losing 2-0 to Spain, who went on to win the tournament. Les Bleus then lost the third-place match to England, finishing fourth overall. The tournament marked the end of Didier Deschamps's 14 years in charge, during which he oversaw 185 matches and 120 wins. He led France to the 2018 World Cup title, the 2021 Nations League and the 2022 World Cup final.

Zidane was announced as his successor on 28 July 2026, becoming the 17th head coach of the national team. He is the third member of the 1998 World Cup-winning squad to take the job, after Laurent Blanc and Deschamps. He scored twice in the 1998 final and played 108 times for France. His first matches were in the UEFA Nations League in September and October 2026, and his first home game was against Italy at the Stade de France on 2 October. You can read the full account of his appointment on Al Jazeera and about his first squad in this France 24 report.

Greatest France National Team Players of All Time

France has produced many legends, and some of their records still stand today.

If you would like to read about other football greats, browse our Legends collection.

How the France Squad Is Chosen

The head coach selects the squad for each international window, usually three or four times a season, with a larger group for major tournaments. At a World Cup, teams register a squad of 26 players, as was the case in recent tournaments. In a normal match, eleven players start, and substitutes follow the rules explained in our guide on how many players are in a football team. French players must be eligible under FIFA rules, which allow players who have represented only youth teams to switch national teams in certain circumstances, as in the case of Lucas Da Cunha, who was also eligible for Portugal.

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the coach of the France national football team?

Zinedine Zidane, appointed on 28 July 2026 on a four-year contract. He replaced Didier Deschamps.

Who is the captain of France?

Kylian Mbappé, who was confirmed as captain by Zidane in September 2026.

Who is France's all-time top scorer?

Kylian Mbappé passed Olivier Giroud in June 2026 to become the record scorer, and he has scored around 67 goals for France.

Who is France's most-capped player?

Hugo Lloris, with 145 caps between 2008 and 2022.

How many World Cups has France won?

Two: in 1998 on home soil and in 2018 in Russia. France also reached the finals in 2006 and 2022, and the semi-finals in 2026.

Who is the best player in the France team?

Most observers would name Kylian Mbappé, though Ousmane Dembélé, the 2025 Ballon d'Or winner, is also among the best. For more on the best players of the year, see our guide to the 2022 awards and the latest Ballon d'Or.

Is Karim Benzema still in the France team?

No. Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or in 2022, is not in the current squad.

Conclusion

France's national team is entering a new chapter with Zinedine Zidane in charge and Kylian Mbappé as captain. The squad blends experienced players such as Rabiot, Koundé and Dembélé with fresh names like Lepaul, Da Cunha and Jacquet, and it can call on talent from Europe's biggest leagues. After the disappointment of a semi-final exit at the 2026 World Cup, the next goal is to challenge for Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.

Because squads change from one international window to the next, check the official announcements before the next matches. This page will keep showing the latest verified information, so bookmark it if you want to follow the France national team players through the Zidane era.