France

France's 26-man squad is valued at €1.56 billion by Transfermarkt — the highest total in World Cup history, over €220m ahead of second-placed England.

Kylian Mbappé enters the tournament with 12 World Cup goals, needing just 5 more to surpass Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16.

Ousmane Dembélé is the reigning Ballon d'Or winner, having driven PSG to their first-ever Champions League title in 2024-25; Michael Olise is a leading 2026 contender after winning the Bundesliga Player of the Season.

France's kits pay tribute to the Statue of Liberty — a gift from France to the United States in 1886 — featuring 'Game Royal' blue and 'Metallic Copper' tones on the home strip, with mint green and copper on the away.

Warren Zaïre-Emery (born 8 March 2006) is just 20 years old, making him the youngest player in the squad; Désiré Doué (born 3 June 2005) turned 21 on the eve of the tournament and scored a brace in the Champions League final.

In the 1982 semi-final against West Germany, keeper Harald Schumacher flattened Patrick Battiston so hard the Frenchman lost teeth and consciousness — yet the referee didn't even award a foul, and Schumacher stayed on to win the shootout.

Just Fontaine's 13 goals at the 1958 World Cup remain the record for a single tournament — and he scored them in borrowed boots after his own pair fell apart.