Didier Deschamps announces his 26-man France squad for World Cup as Eduardo Camavinga misses out

France manager Didier Deschamps has announced his 26-man squad for the 2026 World Cup – and some big names have missed out on his final-ever selection, including Eduardo Camavinga.

Deschamps, who will leave his position as coach of the French national team after this summer's tournament, will be hoping to lead the country to a third successive World Cup final when July rolls around.

France will kick off their group stage campaign against Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16. They will then take on Iraq at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia on June 22 before coming up against Norway in Boston on June 26.

So, who will feature for Les Blues? On Thursday evening, Deschamps made his squad announcement at the FFF headquarters in Paris, and some of his picks have sparked plenty of debate amongst fans.

Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta, who has made three appearances for his country, has received a call-up, while PSG forward Randal Kolo Muani will miss out after a poor campaign on loan at Spurs.

It was reported ahead of the announcement that Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga could also be left out, and those rumours were indeed correct.

Camavinga has struggled to nail down a regular spot in Los Blancos' starting line-up this season and, according to reports in Spain, the club are open to offers if a suitable bid arrives for the 23-year-old.

Speaking about his decision to drop the midfielder, Deschamps said: “Camavinga out of the World Cup squad? He's coming out of a hard season, where he didn't play much, with a lot of injuries. He's still young."

The 57-year-old, meanwhile, has decided to pick three goalkeepers – Mike Maignan, Brice Samba and Robin Risser, while nine defenders, including William Saliba, Ibrahima Konate and Malo Gusto, have been selected.

N'Golo Kante, who currently plays for Turkish side Fenerbahce, will take part in his third World Cup alongside fellow midfielders Manu Kone, Warren Zaïre-Emery and Aurelien Tchouameni.

Of course, Kylian Mbappe is set to be their main man, while Michael Olise, Desire Doue and Rayan Cherki, who has been one of the Premier League's standout performers this season, will also try and lead France to glory.

France's 26-man squad in full

Goalkeepers:

Mike Maignan (AC Milan),

Robin Risser (Lens)

Brice Samba (Rennes)

Defenders:

Lucas Digne (Aston Villa),

Malo Gusto (Chelsea),

Lucas Hernandez (PSG),

Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal),

Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool),

Jules Koundé (Barcelona),

Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace),

William Saliba (Arsenal)

Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders:

N'Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe),

Manu Koné (AS Roma),

Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan),

Aurélien Tchouameni (Real Madrid)

Warren Zaïre-Emery (PSG)

Forwards:

Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco),

Bradley Barcola (PSG),

Rayan Cherki (Manchester City),

Ousmane Dembélé (PSG)

Désiré Doué (PSG),

Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace)

Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid),

Michael Olise (Bayern Munich)

Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)

❌ A list of 26 players who have been left off of France's World Cup squad:

🧤 Areola, Chevalier, Butez

🛡️ Udol, Badé, W. Fofana, Pavard, Yoro, Kalulu, Mukiele, Lukeba

⚽️ Camavinga, Y. Fofana, M. Guendouzi, Mayulu, K. Thuram, Tolisso

🎯 Coman, Diaby, Edouard, Kolo Muani,…

— Get French Football News (@GFFN) May 14, 2026

Thoughts on the squad list? Let us know in the comments.