
Audio By Carbonatix
Kylian Mbappe and Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembele will lead a star-studded France attack after Didier Deschamps announced his 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup.
Only Olivier Giroud (57) has scored more than Mbappe's 56 goals for France, with the Real Madrid forward expected to captain his country despite recent struggles with a thigh injury.
Dembele scored 35 goals and won the Champions League with Paris St-Germain last season to become only the second French player this century to win the Ballon d'Or, but is yet to score at a World Cup despite featuring in the past two squads.
Bayern Munich's Michael Olise and Dembele's PSG team-mate Desire Doue complete an exciting attacking quartet while Man City playmaker Rayan Cherki and Arsenal defender William Saliba are among seven Premier League-based players in the squad.
Full-back Lucas Hernandez and midfielder N'Golo Kante join Mbappe and Dembele as the only survivors from France's 2018 World Cup-winning group.
Deschamps, who has led France to back-to-back World Cup finals, has made a few surprise calls ahead of his final major tournament as head coach.
There is no place in the squad for Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga or Tottenham's Randal Kolo Muani – both of whom were involved in 2022.
PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier also misses out, with uncapped Lens goalkeeper Robin Risser joining Brice Samba as back-up to Mike Maignan.
Liverpool's Huge Ekitike, who suffered a season-ending Achilles injury in April, is a notable, but expected, absentee.
"It's a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It's about balance and how the team comes together," Deschamps told French TV channel TF1.
"I can imagine how disappointed [Camavinga] 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 begin their campaign against Senegal in New Jersey on 16 June, with further Group I matches against Iraq (22 June) and Norway (26 June).
France World Cup squad
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (Paris St-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamenaco (Bayern Munich)
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Fenerbache), Manu Kone (Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris St-Germain)
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris St-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Man City), Ousmane Dembele (Paris St-Germain), Desire Doue (Paris St-Germain), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid), Jean-Phillipe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
Latest Stories
-
Mahama delivers medical equipment to Ho District Hospital to boost Free Primary Healthcare programme
4 minutes -
Beads, not screens: How Ancient Abacus is rescuing Ghana’s children from digital distraction
17 minutes -
MPs must put Ghana ahead of party loyalty and personal ambition – Justice Atuguba
19 minutes -
Police end rescue efforts for more victims of fatal Odumase accident
20 minutes -
What if society had a memory for kindness
20 minutes -
Trump to attend World Cup final as Argentina face Spain
31 minutes -
Credit-to-GDP gap remains negative, signals credit contraction – BoG
31 minutes -
Road contractors should voluntarily help build Volta Cardiac Centre – Agbodza
48 minutes -
Mahama lauds Black Stars’ World Cup performance
48 minutes -
Two killed, several injured in accident on Fodoa–Nadeso road
49 minutes -
I will commit 3 more months of my salary to Volta Cardiac Centre – Agbodza
52 minutes -
I thought my first major patient had died until I found her eating Akple for breakfast – Bernhardt Ago Sowa Kuma
52 minutes -
I won’t threaten any contractor to contribute to Ghana Medical Trust Fund – Agbodza
53 minutes -
Foreign Affairs Ministry opens logo design competition for Ghana-Japan Triple Anniversaries
54 minutes -
The Court applied the law, it is not the villain in the TikToker case
55 minutes