France is one of the three main contenders for the title in 2026. With Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and a host of world-class players, the Équipe Tricolore probably has the most balanced squad in the tournament. Manager Didier Deschamps has announced that he will step down after the 2026 World Cup – a final moment of glory for one of the most successful national team managers of all time.

For his final tournament as national team manager, Didier Deschamps has selected three goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Brice Samba and Robin Risser – all three are World Cup debutants, and none of them has ever played in goal at a World Cup before.

Maignan missed the entire 2022 World Cup due to injury. It wasn’t until early 2023 that he became the Équipe Tricolore’s new number one – at a time when he had played just five international matches. What followed was a meteoric rise: at EURO 2024, he led France to the semi-finals and was selected by UEFA for the tournament’s All-Star Team. In January 2026, he extended his contract with AC Milan until 2031.

Maignan is not a traditional goalkeeper who simply holds his line. He impresses with explosive reflexes, aggressive rushing off his line and genuine leadership qualities behind the defence. France are among the World Cup favourites – and Maignan is one of the reasons why.

Samba, who was born in the Republic of the Congo and has been a French international since 2023, brings an unusually wide range of career experience to the role of second-choice goalkeeper. His career path took him from Olympique Marseille to Nottingham Forest – where he established himself as the first-choice goalkeeper in the Championship – and back to France to RC Lens, with whom he reached the Champions League play-offs in the 2022/23 season. In January 2025, he moved to Stade Rennes for around €15 million, where he confirmed his quality.

At international level, he is still a young international with just four caps to his name. Yet that is precisely what makes him valuable for this role: no ego, full concentration on his task as a backup. Particularly noteworthy is his strength from the penalty spot – a skill that can be a decisive factor at any time in a World Cup tournament.

Risser was honoured at the UNFP gala evening just a few days before being nominated as the best goalkeeper in Ligue 1 for the 2025/26 season – in his very first full season in the top flight, at the age of 21. He started all 33 league matches for RC Lens, kept 11 clean sheets and anchored one of the league’s strongest defences. His rise came via loan spells in the third and second tiers – without taking any shortcuts.

Deschamps named him as third-choice goalkeeper. Anyone following Risser’s career knows this name will be mentioned far more often.