The Blues did the job. A month after the (small) misstep in Iceland (2-2), the French team has indeed validated its qualification for the next World Cup by quietly dominating Ukraine (4-0), following up three days later with a final success in Azerbaijan (1-3).
All eyes are now on America, which will host the 2026 World Cup. The Blues will also quickly be determined on their fate since the draw will be held on December 5 in Washington. Guaranteed to be in pot 1 thanks to its third place in the FIFA Ranking, France should inherit a group worthy of its measure.
Didier Deschamps will obviously be present in the federal capital for the occasion and will return to the United States by January 9 to validate the choice of base camp. Likewise, it is now certain that the Blues will make a mini-tour across the Atlantic next March to face Brazil and Colombia in friendly matches, the last two outings of the French team before the announcement of the list in mid-May.
France-Ukraine, Didier Deschamps’ last match in France
Likewise, with the World Cup starting on June 11 and the teams having to be on site five days before their entry into the competition, the Blues should leave France just a few days after the Champions League final, scheduled for May 30. And if, unlike in 2022, they play a preparation match before the start of the World Cup, it should also be held in the United States to facilitate acclimatization.
The France-Ukraine match played last Thursday at the Parc des Princes will therefore remain, if necessary, as Didier Deschamps’ last meeting on the bench of the French team in France. After 14 years at the head of the Blues, the French coach will indeed leave his position at the end of the World Cup.
