France and Qatar have been allies since the latter declared its independence in 1971 with the termination of British rule. The two nations signed a defence pact in 1994.

Of the eight previous World Cups held on the American continent, seven have been won by a South American team. There was a European winner in Brazil in 2014, when Germany edged Argentina in the final.

But Deschamps has a history of pragmatism in such matters, leading France to triumph at the 2018 World Cup, and to the final in 2022, after campaigns that were also hit by selection worries.

Poor outings at the Russia and Qatar World Cups started to fade from memory, though, as De la Fuente’s side beat Italy and Croatia to win the 2023 Nations League.

Poor outings at the Russia and Qatar World Cups started to fade from memory, though, as De la Fuente’s side beat Italy and Croatia to win the 2023 Nations League.

(Reuters) -Qatar are within "touching distance" of qualifying for the 2026 World Cup and will go all out against Iran and Uzbekistan over the next week to keep their dream alive, says new coach ...

FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA U-17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 launched the registration process for the Qatar 2025 FIFA Volunteer Programme Tuesday.

Exclusive: Described as the Qatar whistleblower for his revelations about the build-up to the 2022 World Cup, Abdullah Ibhais tells Miguel Delaney he was physically assaulted, kept in complete ...

Doha, Qatar: FIFA and the Local Organising Committee (LOC) of the FIFA U 17 World Cup Qatar 2025 and FIFA Arab Cup Qatar 2025 has launched the registr ...

France will ban smoking in public places, including parks, ... Around 35 percent of French adults, aged 15 or above, were smokers in 2022, according to the World Health Organization.

Doha, Qatar: US Ambassador to Qatar H E Timmy Davis has termed President Donald Trump s recent visit to Qatar as a defining moment in US Qatar relat ...

The 2026 World Cup will be the most lucrative sports event ever staged, with FIFA’s revenues set to top $10billion (£7.4bn), according to a new report from London-based agency Pitch Marketing ...