Why France lead by Real Madrid Kylian Mbappe is the team to beat at the 2026 World Cup

A s the soccer world looks ahead to the 2026 FIFA World Cup in North America , one thing is becoming increasingly clear: France enters the tournament as the team everyone else must get through.

Ranked No. 3 in the latest FIFA standings released on November 19, Les Bleus are closing fast on Spain and Argentina -and closing even faster on a new era of dominance powered by two stars who are both contenders for The Best FIFA Football Awards 2025: Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé.

The numbers, the talent, and the momentum all point in the same direction: France has the most complete, most explosive, and most battle-tested roster on earth.

Closing in on the top of the world

France's November wins-4-0 over Ukraine and 3-1 against the Faroe Islands -did more than simply secure their direct qualification for the 2026 World Cup . They tightened the gap on the top two teams in the world, with Argentina now just 3.33 points ahead of them and Spain only slightly farther out.

That improvement matters. It reflects what the eye test already tells us: this is a team trending upward at exactly the right time. They sit ahead of England, Brazil, Portugal , and the Netherlands -and remain the most dangerous side outside the top two.

And they're heading to a World Cup hosted by three countries where large French, African, Caribbean, and European expat communities will make Les Bleus feel right at home.

Two players in the running for The Best FIFA Awards

No national team boasts a duo as decorated-and as feared-as France does right now. Kylian Mbappé , in electric form at Real Madrid , is again one of the frontrunners for The Best FIFA Men's Player 2025. Ousmane Dembélé , fresh off his Ballon d'Or win , is also on the shortlist-even after an injury-disrupted campaign.

Two top-five global players from the same national team is rare. Two who are healthy, hungry, and peaking right before a World Cup is almost unfair. And France's attack doesn't stop there. Not even close. The most stacked attack in international soccer Analysts have described it as "unrivaled," "absurd," and even "better than anything club soccer can offer." It sounds hyperbolic-until you look at the talent pool.

Deschamps could open the tournament with a front three of: Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé , and Michael Olise (one of Europe's most promising creators) Behind them, he still has Hugo Ekitike, Bradley Barcola, Désiré Doué , and others able to start for most top-10 national teams. Simply put: France has two starting-level forward lines. And both are better than what most contenders can field.