Arsene Wenger Names France as Favourites to Lift 2026 World Cup Trophy
Former Arsenal manager Arsene Wenger has backed France to win the 2026 FIFA World Cup, labelling them his favourites to lift the trophy. The French national team secured their spot in the finals with an impressive qualifying campaign, collecting five victories and one draw from six matches.
Wenger's endorsement comes as no surprise, given France's star-studded squad and their recent success on the international stage. The team will begin their quest for a third World Cup title against Senegal at New Jersey's MetLife Stadium in less than a week. With group-stage matches against Iraq and Norway also on the horizon, France's talented squad is widely expected to finish top of Group I and advance comfortably to the knockout stages.
France have appeared in four of the last seven World Cup finals, a testament to their consistency and ability to perform under pressure. Head coach Didier Deschamps, who has been involved in three of those finals as a player and manager, is now hoping to lift the trophy for a third time. Wenger believes France have every chance of achieving that goal, citing their impressive qualifying campaign and the experience of their players.
Captain Kylian Mbappe will be a key figure for France in the upcoming tournament. Despite a challenging second season at Real Madrid, Mbappe finished UEFA qualifying as the third-highest scorer with nine goals. Wenger also believes that an injury-disrupted season could ultimately work in Mbappe's favour, although the forward will be eager to prove his critics wrong on football's biggest stage. Deschamps has made it clear that France are comfortable being viewed as one of the leading contenders for the trophy, saying: "We're among the favourites. If we have this status today, which seems logical and legitimate to me, it's because of everything that we have done, the results we achieved." The France manager also suggested that his team receives more appreciation abroad than they do at home, stating: "Abroad there is perhaps more recognition. I know very well, since I also travel a lot abroad, that the feeling abroad is different from the one in France."
With a squad packed with talent, experience, and depth, France will head into the 2026 World Cup carrying the weight of expectation. Both Wenger and Deschamps believe they are fully equipped to handle that pressure, and it remains to be seen whether France can live up to their favourites tag and lift the trophy for a third time. The world will be watching as France takes on Senegal in their opening match, and it will be interesting to see how the team performs under the intense scrutiny of the international stage.
Source: Yen Sports