This Tuesday, the French national team will face Sweden in the Round of 32 of the 2026 World Cup at 11:00 PM CET at MetLife Stadium. Ahead of the match, Le Parisien and L’Équipe have attempted to predict the lineups chosen by French head coach Didier Deschamps and his Swedish counterpart, Graham Potter. The match involves five Paris Saint-Germain players—all French: Lucas Hernandez, Warren Zaïre-Emery, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, and Ousmane Dembélé. Only Hernandez is expected to start.
France (4-2-3-1) :
Mbappé
Barcola – Olise -Dembélé
Rabiot – Tchouaméni
Digne – Saliba – Upamecano – Koundé
Maignan.
Sweden (4-2-3-1) :
Isak – Gyökeres – Elanga
Stroud – Bergvall – Ayari – Bernhardsson
Gudmundsson – Lindelöf – Lagerbielke
Zetterström
These lineups are entirely plausible given the available players and recent matches. However, some uncertainty remains, with other options on the table and the possibility of a surprise selection. Sweden has experimented with different setups during their opening games, though a three-man central defense seems to have become the established choice.
Regarding Les Bleus, the media is often quite accurate when it comes to Deschamps’ choices. It is likely the actual lineup will be very close to these predictions. However, competition for places is fierce, making decisions difficult—particularly on the left wing, where Barcola and Doué are vying for the spot. The rest of the attack appears settled. We will, of course, await the official announcement—expected about an hour before kickoff—for confirmation.
