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
-
Maritime development key to Africa’s economic transformation – GEXIM
12 minutes -
CSOs push for electoral reforms, propose new law on campaign financing
22 minutes -
Nigeria celebrates historic seven-medal haul in Bamako
22 minutes -
SIC Insurance posts GH¢84m profit as revenue rises, but audit flags subsidiary liabilities
25 minutes -
Afreximbank invites Rugby Africa President Herbert Mensah to address the 33rd Annual Meetings on a Panel Exploring Sport as a driver of African Industrialisation
30 minutes -
From the classroom to the home: How one day in Bulingin is changing healthy habits for good
33 minutes -
Abronye remanded into police custody over failure to surrender passport
39 minutes -
World Rugby and Canal+ Group unite to bring the next two Rugby World Cups to fans across Africa
41 minutes -
Accra Central Police fire outbreak leaves over 140 personnel and their families homeless
43 minutes -
Many Africans see justice system as unequal, costly, and slow, according to the Afrobarometer survey reveals
51 minutes -
Speakers at African Conference urge President Mahama to assent to anti-LGBTQ bill into law
57 minutes -
Trump hits back at ‘unpatriotic’ vote after House rebukes him over Iran
58 minutes -
IGP tasked to secure immediate accommodation for officers affected by Tudu fire outbreak
58 minutes -
Ebola threat: Gov’t to build health posts at all land borders
1 hour -
I attended Harvard – just not the one you think: Rethinking success, career paths and school labels in Ghana
1 hour