What drawing possibilities for the French team in this new 2024-2025 edition ?

Les Français avaient terminé à la troisième place de leur groupe en 2022. MAXPPP – LP/Arnaud Journois

After a failed campaign in 2022, the French team is placed in the third hat of the League of Nations and could therefore inherit a very strong group during the draw taking place this Thursday, February 8 , in Paris. 

In full preparations for the Euro taking place from June 14 to July 14 in Germany, Didier Deschamps and his troops will already be able to know their future opponents for a competition – the League of Nations, which will will solicit from next September. 

This will appear well before the qualifying matches for the 2026 World Cup which will take place in the American trident, the United States, Canada and Mexico. 

A new formula

The formula has evolved a little compared to the three previous editions since now the first two of the four groups of League A will play quarter-finals (first legs on March 20, 2025, returns on March 25, 2025), the four winners being qualified for the final for four (June 4-8, 2025).

There will be no shortage of obstacles for the Blues on the road to a possible 2nd coronation after that of 2021. Third in their group in 2022, the vice-world champions, who are part of the 12 selections maintained in League A, were placed in the 3rd hat (with Switzerland, Germany and Poland) and are almost guaranteed to meet other European tenors.

🇫🇷 Bonjour Paris!

⚽ This week, we're in the French capital to attend the 48th #UEFACongress gathering representatives of all 55 UEFA member associations. pic.twitter.com/N2WT4YVeWt

— UEFA (@UEFA) February 7, 2024

In hat 1, we will especially have to avoid Spain, title holder, and Croatia, 2nd in 2023, finalist of the 2018 World Cup and semi-finalist in 2022 in Qatar.

As for Italy, quadruple world champion and winner of the Euro in 2021, it also remains a prestigious opponent that is always very complicated to maneuver, even if the Nazionale crosses a difficult time, between absence from the 2022 World Cup and qualification at the last minute for the 2024 European Championship.

Trap formations, no negligence allowed

Finally the Netherlands, quarter-finalists of the 2022 World Cup, are old acquaintances of the French who faced them during the Euro-2024 qualifiers and will meet them again in the final phase on June 21 in Leipzig.

Hat 2 is just as dense with Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo, as well as Belgium's Kevin De Bruyne and Romelu Lukaku as scarecrows.

Denmark, which twice dominated Kylian Mbappé's teammates in 2022 (2-0 in Copenhagen, 2-1 at the Stade de France), will not be neglected either.< /p>

The French have since taken their revenge, in the first round of the 2022 World Cup (2-1). Hungary, on the other hand, appears to be the most affordable training.

https://twitter.com/UEFA/status/175515441542758533?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw

The four nations appearing in hat 4, all promoted via League B, have no reason to scare the Blues (Israel, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Serbia, Scotland).

The French team is therefore indeed under the threat of a particularly tough program. But unlike previous years, it will have to play the game until the end since this time a possible 3rd place like in 2022 will no longer guarantee it a stay in League A.

With the new version of the event, the third places in each group will have to go through a play-off in March 2025 against the second places in the League B groups to maintain their position among the ;continental elite.