Marc Combreau didn’t come to North America for a single match. The France supporter from Vezins, near Cholet in the Maine-et-Loire department in western France, crossed the Atlantic with every one of his tickets in hand—determined to follow the French national team through the 2026 World Cup, with his son Alban alongside him.
Combreau’s relationship with “Les Bleus” goes back decades. He was in the stands at Stade de la Beaujoire in Nantes in 1984, at age 24, for what he remembers as his first France match—and he can still recite the details.
“We win against Belgium, 5-0, with three goals by Platini: one with his left, one with his right and one with his head!” he recalled. At the time, he played soccer himself—first as a goalkeeper, then as a defender—at the club in Saint-Hilaire-du-Bois.
From Vezins to North America, one match at a time
Forty-two years later, Combreau is traveling across the North American continent so he won’t miss a single France game. He’s pairing the matches with sightseeing and family reunions, turning the tournament into a long-haul trip rather than a quick sports getaway.
His son Alban was with him on Monday, June 22, for France-Iraq.
Asked about the final, Combreau kept his expectations measured. “Of course we’d like that, but it’s a tournament,” he said, resisting any early celebration.
Then he added, flatly: “We have the team to win!”
“We have the team to win”: a believer who shows up in person
That confidence—voiced from American stands—captures the mindset of a longtime, boots-on-the-ground supporter. Combreau isn’t following France from his couch: he bought all of his tickets so he can attend every group-stage match, and potentially more if France keeps advancing in the bracket.
