France has validated the essentials even before the start of the 2026 World Cup. While waiting to officially qualify, the Blues already know that they will appear in pot 1 of the draw, scheduled for December in Washington. A comfortable position which guarantees them to avoid a certain number of heavyweights of world football. And the least we can say is that the Tricolores will not complain about it.
The eleven nations that France will avoid in the first round
According to projections established by Football Meets Data as of October 15, 2025, France will be among the top seeds in the North American tournament. This means that it will not meet, in the first round, the other teams in its hat: Spain, Argentina, England, Portugal, the Netherlands, Brazil, Belgium, Germany, as well as the United States, Mexico and Canada, hosts of the tournament.
These hats remain provisional, but unlikely to change: France has a comfortable lead over 13th place, Croatia. Even a slight misstep during the final two days of the playoffs would not affect his top seed status. A godsend for Didier Deschamps, who will avoid from the start the favorites for the title, from ultra-dominant Spain to Messi's Argentina, without forgetting Portugal and Brazil, always formidable.
Draw: why the Blues hit the jackpot
Big clients in the hat 2
But being seeded does not guarantee a smooth ride. Hat 2 will also be full of serious opponents: Croatia, 2018 finalist, Bielsa's Uruguay, Switzerland, always formidable in major tournaments, or even Morocco, semi-finalist of the last World Cup. Suffice to say that a strong group remains possible, despite the comfort of the current position.
Since 1998, France has not always had this privilege. She was not seeded in 2010, nor in 2014. Two campaigns which also ended in contrasting journeys.
Before dreaming, you still have to validate the qualification
For the moment, nothing is official yet: France must first ensure its qualification. A success against Ukraine or a draw, followed by another parity score against Azerbaijan would be enough. But Deschamps will be careful not to be overconfident: the specter of 1993, and this cruel elimination against Bulgaria, remains etched in memories.
Hat 1 is good. You still have to be sure to participate.
