With the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan and Cortina d'Ampezzo, Italy, fast approaching (February 6-22, 2026), anticipation is building regarding the potential composition of the French team. France will also host the 2030 Winter Olympics in the French Alps. While it is still over six months away, projections are being made, especially for ice hockey, one of the nation's most popular winter sports.

Ice Hockey

France has not officially qualified for the men's ice hockey tournament at the 2026 Winter Olympics. However, due to their high ranking from the recent Olympic qualifiers and the likely absence of Russia, France is expected to participate. France is in Group A, along with Canada, Switzerland and Czechia. The team's official roster will be announced later in the year.

France has already named six players to its preliminary roster:

• Yohann Auvitu (Defenseman): A veteran with 58 NHL games under his belt, Auvitu brings experience from the New Jersey Devils and Edmonton Oilers. He has also played in 10 World Championships and one Olympic qualifier.
• Pierre-Edouard Bellemare (Forward): With 700 NHL games, Bellemare is a highly respected player. He most recently played for the Seattle Kraken and currently plays professionally in Switzerland. Bellemare has played in 11 World Championships and six Olympic qualifiers and won silver at the 2016 World Cup of Hockey. Bellemare was named captain of Team France.
• Jules Boscq (Defenseman): The young defenseman had one assist in seven games for France at the 2025 Worlds and also played at the 2023 tournament.
• Hugo Gallet (Defenseman): Gallet has represented France at the World Championships six times, including as captain in 2025.
• Jordann Perret (Forward): Perret had four points in six games for France at the 2025 Worlds and has played in eight total World Championships.
• Alexandre Texier (Forward): Texier has 90 points in 232 games between the Columbus Blue Jackets and St. Louis Blues. He has also played for France at the World Championship five times and at the Olympic qualifiers twice.

Other players likely to be on the final roster include Stéphane Da Costa, Tim Bozon, and Antoine Keller.

Other Sports

France has also provisionally qualified athletes in other disciplines:

• Alpine Skiing: One female and one male
• Biathlon: Six females and six males
• Cross-Country Skiing: Six females and seven males
• Ski Mountaineering: Two females and two males
• Figure Skating: Four men and three women

For biathlon, athletes who placed in the top six in sprint, individual, pursuit, or mass start races at the 2025 World Championship pre-qualified for the Olympics. Those who did not pre-qualify will be evaluated based on roller ski trials, pre-season on-snow selection races, and the 2025-26 World Cup season.

France at the Olympics

France has a long and rich history in the Winter Olympics. At the 2022 Winter Olympics in Beijing, France had 86 competitors across 10 sports. They won 5 gold, 7 silver, and 2 bronze medals. France will be the penultimate nation to enter the stadium during the opening ceremony, before the host country, Italy. A French segment will also be performed at the closing ceremony.