Lucas Digne: five things to know before the 2026 World Cup | OneFootball

At 32, Lucas Digne is set to savour a World Cup return, 12 years after his first and only taste in 2014. Le Progres highlights five themes from his journey, from youth glory to set pieces.

A product of Lille, he was part of France’s 1993-born group that won the U20 World Cup in 2013 alongside Alphonse Areola and Paul Pogba. France beat Uruguay on penalties after a 0-0 final, 4-1, with Digne starting every game.

He may not be the biggest name, yet he is the France group’s longest-serving player. Not selected for the World Cups in 2018 and 2021, the left-back was in Didier Deschamps’s 2014 squad. His debut came on 5 March 2014 against the Netherlands.

It has been a career of peaks and troughs, but his international span is considerable. He has 56 caps for Les Bleus.

He may even have taken a cue from Messi, but after leaving Barcelona for Everton he embraced free-kicks. In 2018-19 he scored two against Watford and Burnley, and has four in his career.

You could argue for a fifth, with France on 17 November 2024 against Italy. His 30-metre free-kick struck the bar, hit Guglielmo Vicario’s back and crossed the line, but it was given as an own goal.

Having played for PSG, Roma and Barcelona, he has worked with leading coaches including Unai Emery at Aston Villa, Carlo Ancelotti and Rafael Benitez at Everton. In France he has been managed by Didier Deschamps, Rudi Garcia and Laurent Blanc.

Source: Le Progres