France’s national team faces comparatively few of its own fans in the United States

Dallas – 14 July 2026: France will play its World Cup semi-final against Spain in Dallas on Bastille Day. On the way there, plenty of blue, white and red has regularly been visible in US stadiums. However, this picture is somewhat misleading: a large proportion of the visible support has not come from French people travelling specifically for the tournament, but from fans in the United States and spectators of other backgrounds who have discovered Les Bleus during the competition.

The number of supporters travelling directly from France is low compared with some opponents. Ahead of the group match against Norway on 26 June in Foxborough, slightly more than 4,000 French fans were expected, according to the French Football Federation. In the stadium, however, the Norwegian fan base clearly dominated with its red shirts and organised chants.

There are several understandable reasons for the limited presence. The World Cup is spread across the United States, Canada and Mexico, and the distances between venues are considerable. For fans from France, flights, accommodation, tickets and onward travel mean high costs. In addition, the tournament schedule, with knockout-stage venues determined late, makes long-term and cheaper travel planning more difficult.

Norway had a particularly visible travelling fan group against France. Before the match, FIFA highlighted the exchange between organised Norwegian supporters and the French fan association Les Irresistibles Francais. More than 60,000 spectators experienced chants from both camps in Foxborough. The French fans were present, but could not generate the same impact in terms of numbers.

At the same time, support for France cannot be measured solely by the number of travelling fans. At other matches, numerous US spectators wore the Equipe de France shirt. Reports from New York described several thousand fans who had travelled from France, but also a crowd supporting Kylian Mbappe’s team because of its style of play and internationally known players. This creates a distinctly blue impression in the stands.

For the team, however, the situation remains unfamiliar. At a tournament on the North American continent, the atmosphere can quickly shift in favour of the respective opponent if its diaspora or travelling fan organisation is larger. France will face Spain in the semi-final, whose supporters can also rely on a widely spread international network.

The match in Dallas is therefore also a test for the French fan movement. Organised support from France remains limited, while local sympathisers fill the gaps. Whether Les Bleus will be backed by a clearly recognisable French presence on 14 July depends less on the number of travellers than on the mobilisation of fans already present in the United States.