France stuns badminton world with historic Thomas Cup semi-final debut
The Thomas Cup Finals 2026 will wrap up this Sunday with two unexpected semi-final clashes. France has made history by reaching this stage for the first time ever. Their next challenge is a showdown with India, who swept past Taiwan 3-0 earlier in the tournament. France’s journey began with a stunning 4-1 victory over 14-time champions Indonesia in the group stage. They then dominated Japan 3-0 in the quarter-finals, securing their place in the last four.
In the quarter-final against Japan, Christo Popov set the tone by defeating Kodai Naraoka in the first singles match. Alex Lanier followed with a win over Yushi Tanaka in the second singles. Toma Junior Popov sealed the victory in the third singles, overcoming Koki Watanabe to send France through.
Meanwhile, India advanced after a clean 3-0 win over Taiwan. Defending champions China also progressed, eliminating Malaysia 3-0 to set up a semi-final against Denmark. The Danes had earlier beaten Thailand 3-1 to book their spot in the final four. France now prepares for their first-ever Thomas Cup semi-final against India on Saturday. The other semi-final will see China take on Denmark. The winners of both matches will meet in Sunday’s final to decide the 2026 champion.
