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From playground to pitch: How France produces World Cup talent

NPR | By Eleanor Beardsley

Published June 18, 2026 at 3:45 AM CDT

France's team is among the favorites to win this year's World Cup. France has reached four of the last seven World Cup finals and won two.

Eleanor Beardsley

Eleanor Beardsley began reporting from France for NPR in 2004 as a freelance journalist, following all aspects of French society, politics, economics, culture and gastronomy. Since then, she has steadily worked her way to becoming an integral part of the NPR Europe reporting team.

See stories by Eleanor Beardsley