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French coach Didier Deschamps unveiled on Wednesday the list of twenty-five players who will leave for Qatar for the World Cup, including Kimpembe, Varane and Giroud. AC Milan goalkeeper Mike Maignan was not selected.
We finally know the composition of the France team which will leave for Qatar. A group of 25 Blues were called up for the World Cup on Wednesday November 9 by coach Didier Deschamps, before the final list was sent to FIFA on November 14.
By summoning convalescent Blues like Raphaël Varane, Didier Deschamps moved away from certain principles for the 2022 World Cup on Wednesday, assuming the choice of an enlarged list and the cohabitation between Olivier Giroud and Karim Benzema, long avoided.
On the TF1 set, the television high mass did not hold any major surprises because Deschamps refused, at this stage, to deprive himself of any frame, with the exception of goalkeeper N.2 Mike Maignan, hit by a calf and discarded in favor of Steve Mandanda, 37, and Alphonse Areola.
Around captain Hugo Lloris and the formidable offensive trident formed by Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappé and Karim Benzema, all the other convalescent players are thus integrated into the workforce, from vice-captain Varane (thigh) to Presnel Kimpembe (Achilles tendon ), via defender Jules Koundé (thigh).
Will they be delivered in time? Concern surrounds the defensive sector, posing the risk of a relapse or a lack of rhythm for the group stage, as at the 2002 World Cup with Zinedine Zidane, or at Euro-2008 with Patrick Vieira, two bad memories.
Faced with uncertainties, Deschamps therefore resolved to slightly expand his list to 25 players and not 23 or 24.
Alphonse Areola (West Ham/ENG), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham/ENG), Steve Mandanda (Rennes).
Lucas Hernandez (Bayern Munich/GER), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan/ITA), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris SG), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Koundé (FC Barcelona/ESP), Benjamin Pavard (Bayern Munich/GER) , William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Raphaël Varane (Manchester United/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)
Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Matteo Guendouzi (Marseille), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus Turin/ITA), Aurelien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid/ESP), Jordan Veretout (Marseille)
Karim Benzema (Real Madrid/ESP), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich/GER), Ousmane Dembele (FC Barcelona/ESP), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan/ITA), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid/ESP) and Kylian Mbappe (Paris SG). ), Christopher Nkunku (Leipzig/GER)