When the clock strikes 14:00 CET and the French Football Federation prepares to release the latest squad list, Maxence Lacroix is not refreshing his email or waiting for a phone call. The Crystal Palace defender is simply firing up YouTube, ready to watch Didier Deschamps announce his selection live, just like any other fan. It is a ritual born of pure hope, not insider knowledge—the 25-year-old has never asked his club whether a preliminary call-up arrived. “I prefer not to know,” Lacroix explains. “If you don’t believe in yourself, football becomes complicated.” That unshakable self-belief has carried him from the academy of FC Sochaux-Montbéliard to the Premier League’s elite, and now he eyes the ultimate prize: a place in France’s squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Lacroix’s path to the cusp of international recognition is marked by resilience and late-blooming success. Formed in the historic Sochaux youth system, he followed the familiar trajectory of French defenders moving abroad, first to Germany with VfL Wolfsburg before landing in south London. Since joining Palace in the summer of 2024, he has evolved into one of the Premier League’s most proactive stoppers. Opta data shows he leads the division with 18 interceptions, a stat that underscores his reading of the game and aggressive anticipation. But it is not just stats that define his impact; it is the silverware he has helped deliver to a club starved of it.
The 2024 FA Cup final against Manchester City still resonates deeply. A solitary goal secured Palace’s first major trophy in their 163-year history, and Lacroix played a starring role in the defensive masterclass. He vividly recalls a chance encounter days before the semi-final. “An older fan, he must have been 80, stopped me in the street, gripping my arm,” Lacroix says. “He told me, ‘Before I go, I want to see Palace win a trophy.’ He’d suffered through two final defeats. I promised him it would happen. When we lifted that cup, I thought of him.” That title, followed by a Community Shield triumph over Liverpool in August, has transformed Palace’s mentality. Under manager Oliver Glasner, the Eagles are now a squad of insatiable competitors, chasing every remaining silverware this season, including the Conference League.
Lacroix’s international aspirations are fueled by more than individual ambition. He watched his teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta earn a first senior cap at 28, proof that the pathway to Les Bleus remains open for late developers. Yet Lacroix’s own CV with French youth teams—from U16 to U21—suggests this recognition should not be seen as a surprise. He describes the national team as “a childhood dream,” one sharpened by the weekly duel with world-class attackers in England. “I face the best strikers every weekend. The Premier League is the ideal championship to take that last step,” he says. The hope is that Deschamps, who is known to value performance in top leagues, will eventually take notice—perhaps even during the Conference League clash in Strasbourg, where Lacroix expects a strong showing against the city’s side, with old Sochaux teammates in the stands cheering him on.
Off the pitch, Lacroix’s character is shaped by service. Raised by a mother who worked as a doctor, he internalized a mission to help others. In January, he partnered with Palace to distribute clothing to homeless people in south London, an initiative he describes not as charity but as fulfillment. “Seeing my mother serve others made me believe that helping your neighbor is the most beautiful thing you can do,” he reflects. He also remains deeply tied to his roots in Ajat, a village in the Dordogne, and plans to contribute to its development. This altruism carries onto the field, where he defines his defensive role in simple terms: “I’m here to protect my guys… and honestly, I think I do my job quite well.”
For now, the YouTube ritual continues. Each month, Lacroix sits in front of the screen, heart pounding, ready to hear if his name joins those of Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann, and the rest. He embodies the modern footballer who refuses to let the gap between dream and reality be defined by others. As the World Cup looms, his consistent displays for one of England’s resurgent clubs might yet force Deschamps to pick up the phone—or at least make the live stream even more rewarding. Based on reporting from L'Equipe.
