Real Madrid's French Galáctico turns heads wherever he plays, and his appearance in the American tournament is not far away.
For soccer fans in the United States, the chance to watch world stars in their own country is no longer a distant dream. The 2026 FIFA World Cup promises to be the biggest spectacle the sport has ever seen, with matches spread across 16 cities in the United States, Canada and Mexico. Among the stars expected to light up the tournament, Kylian Mbappé's name stands out. Yet his journey to America – and possibly to the pinnacle of the competition – depends on the hurdles placed in front of Les Bleus that will unfold over the next two years.
European countries are competing for places in the 2026 World Cup
Before we dive into how Mbappé could captivate fans from New York to Los Angeles, it's worth understanding how European countries earn their spot in the World Cup. The road to the 2026 tournament could be difficult, even for a powerhouse like France, given the standards on the old continent. UEFA's qualification process begins in March 2025, with 55 teams competing for just 16 places. France, placed in Pot 1 alongside other heavyweights such as England, Germany and Spain, will be included in one of the twelve groups. That drawing took place on December 13, but was it a Friday the 13th to forget?
The stakes are simple. Each group winner receives a direct ticket to North America, while the number two faces a much less certain future. These second-placed teams will join the four highest-ranked Nations League group winners in a thrilling play-off series scheduled for March 2026. A single slip, a mistimed tackle or, ahem, a poorly aimed penalty, could mean watching the tournament from home. . That is unthinkable for a player of Mbappé's stature.
At just 25 years old, Mbappé has already achieved feats that most players only dream of: a World Cup winner's medal (and a runner-up finish in the last edition), multiple Ligue 1 titles and countless personal accolades. Still, the idea of him dazzling the fans in Seattle or scoring a breathtaking goal in Miami feels uniquely exciting – and it's not just because of his speed and precision on the pitch.
Who is in France's 2026 qualifying group?
Okay, given the complexity of the UEFA structure, we don't have the definitive route for France, because it depends on whether or not Croatia is defeated in the Nations League quarter-final.
That said, we can narrow it down to these two groups (updated live):
Group D (if France beats Croatia)
Group L (if France loses to Croatia)
While Mbappe's immediate attention will continue to be on good performances for Real Madrid, he and his national team-mates now know who stands between them and the 2026 World Cup. Playing in the US could further boost Kylian's profile and cement his status as a household name in a country where football still takes its place among the dominant sports. We can't wait!
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