France find out group opponents for World Cup qualification

After securing a semifinal spot in the UEFA Nations League, France have known their opponents for the 2026 World Cup qualifiers.

Les Blues had to come back from a two-goal deficit conceded in the first leg of the quarter-finals in Split by scoring two second-half goals and won the tie on penalties at the Stade de France on Sunday. 

This was a result that had implications for their FIFA World Cup qualifying group. 

The Nations League win over Croatia have set up a date with Spain in the semifinal of the competition in June 5, while the finals hold on June 8.

The latest development revealed that Les Bleus had been placed in a group with Ukraine, Iceland, and Azerbaijan.

Of the three, Ukraine, ranked 25th in the FIFA rankings, the highest-ranked of France’s upcoming opponents, then comes Iceland (70th) and finally Azerbaijan (117th). France will begin their campaign with an away trip against Ukraine, which is likely to be played at a neutral ground on September 5, with the final match of the campaign away to Azerbaijan on November 16. 

Les Bleus will be aiming to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This is confirmed to be Didier Deschamps’ final tournament in charge of Les Bleus. By the time he leaves the post, he will have been in charge of the national team for 14 years. 

Meanwhile, Deschamps who was also a World Cup winner as France captain in 1998  has said he’s not appreciated.

He had announced that he would sit at the start of January. Having already won the World Cup he will be looking to win another in North America next summer. 

The Frenchman is also insistent that when he leaves the French national team, his time as manager will not be over, and he doesn’t see himself managing another national team.

This means a return to club management is on the card, whilst notably opening the door to a move abroad, where he believes his work with Les Bleus is more “recognised”.