World Cup 2026 draw: France learn their route as North American hosts set the stage
The 2026 World Cup draw in Washington DC has set out the road to North America for France and a host of Ligue 1-connected nations, with an added layer of interest provided by co-hosts USA, Canada and Mexico – each with growing ties to French football.
France’s route: a very “Ligue 1” group
Group I: France, Senegal, FIFA Play-off 2, Norway
France land in a group that is competitive but manageable, and packed with familiar profiles for Ligue 1 followers.
Senegal: a squad built in large part through French academies and Ligue 1/ Ligue 2 – a reminder of the long-standing Dakar–Paris pipeline.
Norway: headlined by Erling Haaland and Martin Ødegaard, but also a market increasingly watched by French clubs for physically strong, tactically schooled talent.
FIFA Play-off 2: still to be decided, but likely to add another team whose players criss-cross European leagues.
For Deschamps, this is a group where France should finish top, but it is full of players who know Ligue 1 inside out – and who know how Les Bleus like to play.
Hosts on home soil – and their links back to Ligue 1
Group A – Mexico: South Africa, South Korea, Euro play-off D
Mexico will open the tournament in Mexico City against South Africa. From a Ligue 1 angle:
Mexico: French clubs have regularly scouted Liga MX and MLS for attacking talent; the World Cup on Mexican soil is a shop window for the next André-Pierre Gignac-style crossover story.
South Korea: a growing market for Ligue 1 recruitment, with several clubs tracking K-League profiles.
Play-off D (potentially Republic of Ireland) would add another European flavour that French audiences know well.
Group B – Canada: Euro play-off A, Qatar, Switzerland
Canada’s footballing rise continues, now with a home World Cup group in Toronto/Vancouver.
Canada already send talent to France – and Ligue 1 clubs are increasingly active in Canada’s academy scene, especially around Montréal and Ontario.
Switzerland regularly fields players with French youth-development backgrounds or Ligue 1 experience.
Qatar and a Euro play-off winner (possibly Wales or Northern Ireland) complete a technically interesting group.
For French clubs, this group is almost a travelling scouting fair across two continents.
Group D – USA: Paraguay, Australia, Euro play-off C
The USA will kick off the tournament in Los Angeles, and their group is tailor-made for high-intensity, tactically interesting matches.
Several US internationals have already used Ligue 1 or Ligue 2 as a stepping stone into Europe, and French clubs have intensified their presence in MLS scouting departments.
Australia are a familiar opponent for French audiences after recent friendlies and World Cup meetings, and their players have increasingly looked to France as a gateway to Europe.
Paraguay and the Euro play-off winner round out a group that will be closely watched by European recruiters.
North America isn’t just hosting the tournament – it’s becoming one of Ligue 1’s favourite new talent pools.
Other Ligue 1-heavy nations to watch
Morocco & Brazil – Group C
Group C: Brazil, Morocco, Haiti, Scotland
Morocco’s squad should again be stacked with players formed in France or currently playing in Ligue 1/Ligue 2, facing:
Brazil – a global shop window, including for those Brazilians currently in France.
Scotland, whose domestic league has strong trading links with French clubs.
If Morocco repeat anything like their 2022 run, it will be another advert for French development work.
Ivory Coast, Tunisia, Senegal – Africa’s Ligue 1 core
Ivory Coast (Group E): historically one of Ligue 1’s most influential partner nations in terms of talent.
Tunisia (Group F): French-born or French-trained Tunisians remain a constant theme in their squads.
Senegal (Group I with France): perhaps the clearest symbol of the shared ecosystem between French football and West Africa.
For many African nations, a World Cup in North America doubles as a global showcase of players who grew up in French academies and exploded in Ligue 1.
A World Cup built for Ligue 1 eyes
From Les Bleus’ meeting with Senegal and Norway, to Moroccan and Ivorian cores shaped in France, and the North American hosts increasingly tied to French scouting networks, the 2026 World Cup draw underlines one thing:
Wherever you look next summer – Mexico City, Toronto, Los Angeles or beyond – there will be a Ligue 1 McDonald's story on the pitch.
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