In the history of the World Cup only two countries were able to repeat the title. The last time that happened was in 1962, so what France did in Qatar was remarkable. Argentina was their only obstacle to get that achievement.
France was at the center of attention even before the beginning of the tournament. The injury that left Karim Benzema out of the team ended up being just the first of many key players. It could have made an impact in their performances, but even without them they were really close.
Their journey took them all the way to the final again. In Russia 2018 they defeated Croatia in that game, although they weren’t able to do it this time. The hat-trick scored by Kylian Mbappe wasn’t enough since they lost in the penalty shootout after a thrilling 3-3 tie.
The 2023 schedule of France national soccer team
There was some speculation about Didier Deschamps continuity at the helm. His journey there has been astonishing as it was as a player. He not only led the team to a World Cup title in Russia, but also added finals in Qatar and at the Euro hosted by France in 2016.
Deschamps decided to stay in the position to keep the national team among the best in the world. They will not be able to defend the UEFA Nations League crown they won in Italy in 2021, although there will be enough games.
The path to the next Euro to be played in Germany is what the nations in the continent have next. All their matchups will be for the qualifiers in a five-team group. They will be sharing that with the Netherlands, Gibraltar, Ireland, and Greece.
France national soccer team schedule: List of games in 2023
March 24: France vs Netherlands, Euro qualifiers
March 27: Ireland vs France, Euro qualifiers
June 16: Gibraltar vs France, Euro qualifiers
June 19: France vs Greece, Euro qualifiers
September 7: France vs Ireland, Euro qualifiers
October 13: Netherlands vs France, Euro qualifiers
November 18: France vs Gibraltar, Euro qualifiers
November 21: Greece vs France, Euro qualifiers