France Prepares for 2026 World Cup with Warm-up Matches and U.S. Training Camp

The French National Football Team has finalized its preparation schedule for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, beginning with two warm-up matches in France before a training camp in the United States. Kylian Mbappé and the team will face Ivory Coast on June 4 in Nantes, followed by a second and final friendly against Northern Ireland on June 8 at the Decathlon Arena in Lille Métropole.

Under the guidance of coach Didier Deschamps, France will depart for the United States on June 9 and will conduct their training at Babson College, a private institution located approximately thirty minutes from downtown Boston. As the top seed in Group I, France will play its first three group stage matches on the East Coast of the U.S. The fixtures include games against Senegal on June 16 near New York, Iraq on June 22 in Philadelphia, and Norway on June 26 in Boston, all scheduled to start at 21:00 Paris time.

Philippe Diallo, president of the French Football Federation (FFF), confirmed these arrangements. The tournament is co-hosted by the United States, Mexico, and Canada. Didier Deschamps is set to announce the official World Cup squad on May 14. This preparation reflects France's strategic approach ahead of the competition to bolster team cohesion and acclimatize players in their eventual destination region.