Contrary to what one might think after the draw for the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the Europe zone, the Blues will perhaps not obtain their ticket as easily for the “World Cup 26” organized in Canada, in the United States and Mexico in a year and a half. Seeded in the draw, as world number 2 behind Argentina (and therefore first European nation), the French team was drawn into two groups and will go into one or the other group depending on its result of the draw. Nations League quarter-final against Croatia next March.
In the event of victory against the Croatians and qualification for the Final Four of the League of Nations next June, the vice-world champions will inherit Group D, a group of four, to begin in September 2025. However, the first match would give then a meeting on the field of Ukraine, the team in the second hat of the group, probably in Germany (where the Ukrainians have played in recent years). The Blues will then face Azerbaijan led by Fernando Santos, the coach of Portugal who won at the Stade de France in 2016, and Iceland (coached by no one).
Ukraine-France entry?
However, Ukraine is not an affordable adversary. Quite the contrary. For Euro 2024 last summer, the Ukrainians approached the competition in Germany with great ambition, thanks to a “golden generation” led by goalkeepers Anatoliy Trubin and Andriy Lunin, defender Illya Zabarnyi, essential Oleksandr Zinchenko, the prodigy Mykhailo Mudryk and the fierce scorer Artem Dovbyk. If Mudryk tested positive for a doping product and could be missing from the Chelsea bench and Ukraine, Dovbyk is coming back strong with Roma. Danger for the Tricolores?
On the other hand, in the event of elimination against Croatia in three months, France will be inserted into Group L of the qualifiers, to start in June against Gibraltar. Kylian Mbappé and his teammates will then have to resist two teams less strong than Ukraine, namely the Czech Republic led by Ivan Hasek, with excellent Tomas Soucek and Patrik Schick, and a Montenegro of Robert Prosinecki who still counts on Stevan Jovetic, again captain at 35.
