The best way to follow a World Cup win is to repeat as champions.
France will be hoping to do just that at Qatar 2022, after they won the 2018 tournament with a stylish, exciting team. Most of that squad is back under Didier Deschamps, with Kylian Mbappé, Karim Benzema and Antoine Griezmann forming a formidable nucleus around which the French attack will be based.
One could easily name a full France starting XI of stars as Les Bleus are blessed with arguably the deepest talent pool in the world. Coupled with their status as defending champions, the obvious talent level boasted by France also leads to sky-high expectations, as nothing less than a deep run in Qatar will be seen as a success. And even then, would the French fan base accept anything but another appearance in the final?
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That pressure to succeed could break lesser sides, but Deschamps' lineup is one teeming with experience. Along with the aforementioned superstars, the likes of Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, Olivier Giroud and others are all familiar with operating in a fishbowl of attention, which should bode well as France will be among the most-watched teams in the tournament. The French will feel the loss of N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba, who will miss the tournament through injury, but there are plenty of talented players on the 26-man squad to make up the deficit.
Deschamps' men headline a group with Australia, Denmark and Tunisia, and they should be able to advance to the knockouts with ease. However, the Danes have already shown themselves capable of toppling France this year, and the the UEFA Nations League has indicated some cracks in the formidable French armour.
If they play to their talent level, there may not be a team on Earth that can match them. The key question is whether France will actually do so.
Here are the fixtures that will define France's World Cup journey, along with kick-off times and how to watch.
France's World Cup 2022 fixtures, kick-off times
Group Stage
France have been drawn into Group D alongside Australia, Denmark and Tunisia.
| Date | Time (CET) | Fixture | Stadium |
| Nov. 22 | 8:00 p.m. | France vs. Australia | Al Janoub Stadium |
| Nov. 26 | 5:00 p.m. | France vs. Denmark | Stadium 974 |
| Nov. 30 | 4:00 p.m. | Tunisia vs. France | Education City Stadium |
Round of 16
| Date | Time (CET) | Fixture | Stadium |
| Dec. 4 | 4:00 p.m. | France vs. Poland | Al Thumama Stadium |
Quarterfinals
| Date | Time (CET) | Fixture | Stadium |
| Dec. 10 | 8:00 p.m. | England vs. France | Al Bayt Stadium |
Semifinals
| Date | Time (CET) | Fixture | Stadium |
| Dec. 14 | 8:00 p.m. | France vs. Morocco | Al Bayt Stadium |
Final
| Date | Time (CET) | Fixture | Stadium |
| Dec. 18 | 8:00 p.m. | Argentina vs. France | Lusail Stadium |
France's World Cup 2022 squad
GOALKEEPERS
- Hugo Lloris
- Steve Mandanda
- Alphonse Areola
DEFENDERS
- Raphaël Varane
- Benjamin Pavard
- Lucas Hernandez
- Presnel Kimpembe
- Jules Koundé
- Theo Hernandez
- William Saliba
- Dayot Upamecano
- Ibrahima Konaté
MIDFIELDERS
- Adrien Rabiot
- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- Matteo Guendouzi
- Jordan Veretout
- Eduardo Camavinga
- Youssouf Fofana
FORWARDS
- Olivier Giroud
- Antoine Griezmann
- Karim Benzema
- Kylian Mbappé
- Kingsley Coman
- Ousmane Dembélé
- Christopher Nkunku
What stadiums will France play in at World Cup 2022?
Each of France's three group stage matches will be played at a different venue.
Al Janoub Stadium - France vs. Australia
Home to Al-Wakrah SC of the Qatar Stars League, the Al Janoub Stadium features a retractable roof and 40,000 seats.
The stadium design is meant to invoke the history of the Al Wakrah area, and the seats invoke a wave pattern to emulate the sea. Having opened in 2019 the venue hosted the 2020 AFC Champions League final as well as six matches during the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup.
Seven matches will be held at the Al Janoub Stadium during the World Cup, after which it will be downsized to 20,000 seats.
Stadium 974 - France vs. Denmark
Perhaps the most interesting of the Qatar 2022 venues, Stadium 974 is unique not only because of its name.
The number referenced in the venue's moniker is no coincidence — it's Qatar's international dialing code and also represents the number of shipping containers used to construct the stadium. Holding 40,000 seats, the modular stadium is the first temporary stadium in World Cup history, and will be completely dismantled following the tournament.
Five matches of the 2021 FIFA Arab Cup took place at the venue, and seven World Cup games are scheduled to be played there.
Education City Stadium - Tunisia vs. France
One of two grounds in Al Rayyan, the Education City Stadium gets its name from the university district in which it stands.
At 45,350 seats, it's one of the smaller stadiums in the World Cup, and will be further reduced post-tournament to a 25,000-seat capacity. The stadium held four matches in the 2020 FIFA Club World Cup, including the final between Bayern Munich and Tigres UANL.
During the World Cup, the Education City Stadium will host eight matches in total.
France's World Cup 2022 matches: How to watch
France's games will be broadcast on TF1 and beIN Sports in that country.