Benefiting from a flawless performance in October, the Blues are in a strong position to reach the quarter-finals of the Nations League on March 20 and 23. A draw this Thursday evening against Israel at the Stade de France, or even a defeat if Belgium does not win at the same time against Italy in Brussels, is enough for them to validate their ticket. With nine units after four days, France currently occupies second place in Group B of League A behind the Transalpins (10), but five points ahead of the Red Devils.
Since this edition, the first two teams in each League A group have entered the knockout phase of the competition. Previously only the first was invited.
In the probable hypothesis of a success against Israel, defeated in the first leg in Budapest (4-1), the world vice-champions would then compete for first place in the group against the Transalpines on November 17 in Milan.
A possible impact on the 2026 World Cup qualifiers
Finishing in pole position would not be trivial. It would allow France to be opposed to a second group in the quarter-finals and to receive the return match. The four winners of the quarter-finals will compete in the “final four” from June 4 to 8 in one of the qualified countries. France won the 2021 edition against Spain (2-1).
A presence of N’Golo Kanté’s partners in the quarter-finals would guarantee them not to begin qualifying for the 2026 World Cup (draw on December 13 in Zurich) before June. And if they reached the Final Four, they would be placed in a group of four and would then only enter the competition in September 2025. For the record, in the Europe zone, the first in each of the twelve groups will be qualified for the first 48-a-side World Cup (June 11 to July 19, 2026 in the United States, Canada and Mexico), when the runners-up will compete in the play-offs in March 2026.
