Didier Deschamps has unveiled a 26-man France squad for the upcoming World Cup, blending proven stars with explosive young talent as Les Bleus target a third title. Headlining the list are Kylian Mbappé and Ballon d’Or holder Ousmane Dembélé, who will spearhead a fearsome attack loaded with Champions League pedigree. The announcement on French television set the stage for what Deschamps confirmed will be his final major tournament at the helm.
Mbappé, just two goals shy of Olivier Giroud’s all-time men’s scoring record for France, is expected to wear the captain’s armband despite nursing a thigh injury that has limited his involvement in recent weeks. The Real Madrid forward’s 56 international strikes have already placed him among the greats, but his fitness remains a talking point ahead of the tournament in North America. Deschamps expressed confidence that his talisman will be ready to lead from the front.
Dembélé, who netted 35 goals for Paris Saint-Germain last season en route to Champions League glory and the Ballon d’Or, enters the global stage still chasing his first World Cup goal. Having appeared in both 2018 and 2022 without finding the net, the winger will be desperate to make a defining impact as France chase back-to-back final appearances and beyond.
The attacking quartet is completed by Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise and Dembélé’s PSG colleague Désiré Doué, bringing a mix of trickery, pace and unpredictability. Add in Rayan Cherki, now pulling the strings for Manchester City, and Monaco’s Maghnes Akliouche, and Deschamps has a deep pool of creative forwards at his disposal. Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta and Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram offer physical alternatives up top.
Defensively, William Saliba’s Premier League excellence with Arsenal earns him a spot, joining Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté, Barcelona’s Jules Koundé, and Bayern’s Dayot Upamecano in a formidable centre-back group. Lucas Hernandez and N’Golo Kanté are among only four players who remain from the 2018 World Cup-winning side, adding vital experience. Kanté’s move to Fenerbahçe has not diminished his value to the national team.
The selection was not without surprise omissions. Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga, a key figure in 2022, misses out after an injury-disrupted season, while Tottenham’s Randal Kolo Muani – the hero of the semifinal against Morocco – also failed to make the cut. PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier was overlooked in favour of uncapped Robin Risser of Lens, who will back up Mike Maignan alongside Brice Samba. The absence of Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike, sidelined by a season-ending Achilles rupture in April, was expected but no less lamented by fans.
Deschamps addressed the difficult calls with characteristic pragmatism. “It’s a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It’s about balance and how the team comes together,” he explained on TF1. On Camavinga specifically, he added: “I can imagine how disappointed he must be. He’s coming off a tough season where he didn’t play as much and suffered injuries. [But] I’ve got decisions to make and a squad to put together.”
France will launch their Group I campaign against Senegal on June 16 at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, before taking on Iraq on June 22 and Norway on June 26. The early summer schedule pits them against physical and technically adept opponents, with the Norway clash carrying extra spice given Erling Haaland’s presence.
The context of this announcement is heavy with history. France are the only European nation to reach the last two World Cup finals, triumphing in 2018 under Deschamps before falling to Argentina in a dramatic 2022 showpiece. With the coach confirming this will be his farewell tournament – he departs after 14 years at the helm – there is a palpable sense of a golden generation bidding to crown its legacy.
The squad’s depth reflects the evolution of French football, where a new wave epitomised by Olise, Doué and Risser sits alongside battle-hardened veterans. The blend hints at a tactical flexibility Deschamps has honed over multiple cycles, capable of shifting between explosive counter-attacks and possession-dominant control.
Yet external pressures will be immense. Mbappé’s fitness, Dembele’s World Cup drought, and the weight of expectation on a nation accustomed to deep runs – all will test this group. The inclusion of relative newcomers in goal and the absence of a proven clutch performer like Camavinga may raise questions over squad depth in the tournament’s latter stages.
As the countdown to kick-off intensifies, Deschamps’ final roll of the dice is a calculated gamble on form, fitness and the kind of chemistry that earned him a World Cup winner’s medal as both player and manager. Whether it proves inspired will only be known in the New Jersey summer heat. Based on reporting from BBC Sport.
