FEATURE | Five outside shouts for a place in France’s World Cup squad | OneFootball

Didier Deschamps will announce his 26-man squad for this summer’s FIFA World Cup tonight. In what is his final tournament as manager of the national team, Deschamps will look to take France to a third successive World Cup final and go one further than they did back in 2022, when they lost to Argentina on penalties. 

Speaking earlier this week, Deschamps said that he still had “two or three” decisions to make. We look at which players could have an outside shot at inclusion.

Matthieu Udol (RC Lens)

Full-back has been a problem position for France in recent weeks. Whilst academies are providing a high number of elite-level centre-backs, Deschamps has bemoaned an inability to do the same with full-backs. It is here that France are weakest. Jules Koundé has established himself at right-back, despite an initial reluctance to play the role, although his form with Barcelona has fluctuated more this season than during the last. Les Bleus are light on the ground at left-back, too. Aston Villa’s Lucas Digne has asserted himself as the No.1 pick. The Hernández brothers, Lucas and Théo, will both be confident of inclusion, despite the latter’s recent move to Saudi Arabia and despite the former’s lack of game time at Paris Saint-Germain. 

RC Lens’ Matthieu Udol should be under consideration, too. Unlike Lucas Hernández, who has played little for PSG this season, Udol has played 37 games in all competitions and is currently on course to have featured in all of Lens’ Ligue 1 fixtures. He has performed, too, registering nine assists and scoring twice across all competitions. At 30, he isn’t one for the future, but, arguably the best left-back in Ligue 1 this season, it is difficult to overlook his current form.

Corentin Tolisso (Olympique Lyonnais)

Udol, like others that feature on this list, won’t be too optimistic when they tune in to watch Deschamps name his squad tonight. The reason is quite simple and has been expressed by France’s assistant manager, Stéphane Guy. “I don’t think that any player not previously selected will go to the World Cup this summer,” he told Ouest-France. Whilst Corentin Tolisso hasn’t featured for France since 2021, he has a history of being in the set-up and was notably part of the squad that won the World Cup back in 2018. 

It was his injuries at Bayern Munich that put paid to his international career, but his revival at formative club Olympique Lyonnais has been spectacular, to the extent that Tolisso was open about his ambition of earning a recall. That has yet to happen and, naturally, his chances are slim. There are strong arguments for Tolisso’s inclusion. All of the players on this list would be playing fringe roles, filling in if needs be, whilst also trying to contribute to a healthy atmosphere and a high standard in training. 

Versatility is important when it comes to fringe players, and Tolisso has that in abundance. The OL captain has played across the midfield and as a No.9 this season. He has emerged as a surprise goal threat, netting 15 goals in 38 games this season. Tolisso understands the pressures of a World Cup and would also have the ability to compensate for the absences of injured players in multiple positions, if needed. 

Eli Junior Kroupi (Bournemouth)

This is a pick with one eye on the future. Few would have expected Eli Junior Kroupi to have such an impact in his first season in the Premier League. Following his move to AFC Bournemouth from formative club FC Lorient in the summer, he has gone on to score 12 goals in the Premier League. No teenager has ever scored more in their debut season in the Premier League. A regular with Les Bleuets, performances at club level in recent months suggest that he has a future in France’s senior side. 

There is, of course, a place up for grabs. Hugo Ekitiké’s untimely injury means that there could be a chance for one of the strikers on the fringes of the conversation. More conservative picks, such as Tottenham Hotspur’s Randal Kolo Muani and Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta, look more likely. Regardless, with Kylian Mbappé playing through the middle, the back-up is unlikely to earn too many minutes in North America this summer, barring any injury problems for the France captain. Kroupi would perhaps be a more inspired pick and one that looks more towards the future.

Esteban Lepaul (Stade Rennais)

But there is also an argument for Esteban Lepaul’s inclusion. In Europe’s top five leagues, he is the most in-form French forward of the lot. He has gone from strength to strength since joining Stade Rennais from SCO Angers at the start of the season. With 20 goals in 36 games in Ligue 1, he is almost certain to take home the Golden Boot at the end of the season. A pure fox-in-the-box, his eye for goal has been impressive, and he is currently riding a wave of confidence. He would be the perfect impact sub, should Les Bleus be in search of a goal. N’Golo Kanté was a slightly late bloomer who went on to find his place in the France squad, and, at 26, there is an argument that Lepaul too has the capacity to make a positive impact. 

Hugo Lloris (LAFC)

When Deschamps spoke about having two or three decisions to make, one of them certainly pertains to the third-choice goalkeeper. This position has become something of a headache. Alphonse Areola is now second-choice at West Ham United, and Lucas Chevalier, the heir apparent to Mike Maignan, has tumbled down the pecking order at Paris Saint-Germain. Chevalier is currently injured, too, although he is set to be fit in time for the World Cup. His form, however, is a much bigger worry, hence his demotion at the Parc des Princes.

France may have to opt for an unknown quantity. Robin Risser and Jean Butez have been cited as options. The former has impressed for much of the season, but has experienced an untimely blip in recent weeks. The challenge for Deschamps is not finding the third-best goalkeeper in France but the best third goalkeeper. They won’t be expected to play a single minute but will be expected, as previously stated, to ensure a healthy and competitive atmosphere around the camp, whilst also setting standards. Who better to do that than France’s most capped player of all-time, Lloris? 

Lloris hung up his gloves at international level back in 2022, but continues to play at club level for LAFC. L’Équipe understands that he would answer Deschamps’ call, should the France manager want the goalkeeper to go back on his international retirement. Opting for Lloris ahead of a more exciting, up-and-coming goalkeeper wouldn’t be a popular choice but it doesn’t mean that it isn’t the right one for France this summer.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle