With the dreams of winning the next World Cup after reaching the semifinal, France should see many players joining Kylian Mbappé in the next competition. While the end of the 2026 World Cup wasn’t what France expected after losing to Spain in the semifinal, the future still looks bright as the team led by Kylian Mbappé could largely return in 2030.
The most important thing for France going forward is that Mbappé will be just 31 years old. With the advances in sports science and player longevity, that age should not be a problem for a player of his caliber.
Most of his attacking teammates should also return as they are younger, with the exception of Ousmane Dembélé, who is older than Mbappé. France continue to produce talented players at every position, with the biggest question perhaps being who will succeed Didier Deschamps as manager.
The exact opposite is true for some of the other players, with the main name who is unlikely to be present being N’Golo Kanté, who will be 39 years old by then and therefore unlikely to earn another call-up despite how important he has been for the team. Adrien Rabiot, Lucas Digne, Lucas Hernández and Brice Samba are also among the least likely players to return.
Current team’s age in 2030
PositionPlayerBirthdateAge (June 8, 2030)GoalkeeperBrice SambaApril 25, 199436GoalkeeperMike MaignanJuly 3, 199534GoalkeeperRobin RisserDecember 2, 200425DefenderLucas DigneJuly 20, 199336DefenderLucas HernándezFebruary 14, 199634DefenderTheo HernándezOctober 6, 199732DefenderDayot UpamecanoOctober 27, 199831DefenderJules KoundéNovember 12, 199831DefenderIbrahima KonatéMay 25, 199931DefenderMaxence LacroixApril 6, 200030DefenderWilliam SalibaMarch 24, 200129DefenderMalo GustoMay 19, 200327MidfielderN’Golo KantéMarch 29, 199139MidfielderAdrien RabiotApril 3, 199535MidfielderAurélien TchouaméniJanuary 27, 200030MidfielderManu KonéMay 17, 200129MidfielderMaghnes AklioucheFebruary 25, 200228MidfielderRayan CherkiAugust 17, 200326MidfielderWarren Zaïre-EmeryMarch 8, 200624ForwardOusmane DembéléMay 15, 199733ForwardJean-Philippe MatetaJune 28, 199732ForwardMarcus ThuramAugust 6, 199732ForwardKylian MbappéDecember 20, 199831ForwardMichael OliseDecember 12, 200128ForwardBradley BarcolaSeptember 2, 200227ForwardDésiré DouéJune 3, 200525