France manager Didier Deschamps has announced his 23-man squad for the 2018 FIFA World Cup next month, and there were some surprise exclusions.
10 Big Stars Who Snubbed Their Countries Of Birth
Les Bleus were drawn alongside Australia, Denmark and Peru in Group C, and are the heavy favourites to advance to the knockout stages.
Deschamps has now selected his squad ahead of the tournament, which does not include Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny, who was recently ruled out of the World Cup due to a horrible injury he picked up two weeks ago, as well as club-mate Alexandre Lacazette.
Manchester United's Paul Pogba was selected for the team, while Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy was also included, despite being injured for most of the season.
Here is France’s preliminary 2018 World Cup squad in full:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (PSG)
Defenders: Djibril Sidibé (AS Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (VfB Stuttgart), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (PSG), Adil Rami (Marseille), Samuel Umtiti (FC Barcelona), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City)
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea FC), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla), Thomas Lemar (AS Monaco)
Attackers: Kylian Mbappé (PSG), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea FC), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Ousmane Dembélé (FC Barcelona), Nabil Fékir (Lyon), Florian Thauvin (Marseille)
France will play friendlies against Ireland, Italy and the USA ahead of the World Cup.
Do you think France can win the tournament in Russia this year? Let us know in the comments section below.
ALEXANDRE LACAZETTE and Anthony Martial were snubbed as Didier Deschamps named his 23-man France squad.
And there is no place for Dimitri Payet, who limped out of Marseille’s Europa League final defeat to Atletico Madrid in tears last night.
AFP or licensors 11 Didier Deschamps has named his 23-man France squad for the World Cup
The squad contains a five-man contingent of Premier League stars, with Tottenham keeper Hugo Lloris set to skipper the side.
Manchester City defender Benjamin Mendy makes the cut despite an injury-ravaged season, as do Chelsea duo N’Golo Kante and Olivier Giroud plus Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba.
Both Martial and Lacazette are named as two of 11 reserves – along with Crystal Palace defender Mamadou Sakho, Chelsea centre-back Kurt Zouma and Spurs midfielder Moussa Sissoko.
Incredibly, Arsenal flop Mathieu Debuchy – now at St Etienne – is also named as back-up.
REUTERS 11 Alexandre Lacazette has suffered heartbreak after missing out on France’s World Cup squad
Reuters 11 Manchester United striker Anthony Martial has also missed out
Getty 11 Martial passes the ball for Lacazette to score in France’s friendly with Germany in November
Twitter 11 Frances squad for the World Cup in Russia
Real Madrid striker Benzema is sidelined by Deschamps, as he has been since before Euro 2016 over his alleged involvement in the Mathieu Valbuena sex tape scandal.
France are without defender Laurent Koscielny, who suffered a major Achilles injury in Arsenal’s Europa League semi-final against Atletico.
Les Bleus are one of the favourites for Russia 2018 but face a tricky group that includes Australia, Denmark and Peru.
Martial and Lacazette appear to have paid the price for their inconsistent club form, with Jose Mourinho and Arsene Wenger failing to give either a lengthy run of starts.
FRANCE'S WORLD CUP SQUAD Goalkeepers: Alphone Areola (Paris St Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille) Defenders: Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris St Germain), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Adil Rami (Marseille), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid) Midfielders: Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich) Forwards: Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Kylian Mbappe (Paris St Germain), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona) Reserves: Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (Saint Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Paris St Germain), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Chelsea).
Un pays. Un peuple. Une équipe. Tous ensemble nous serons #FiersdetreBleus 👊 🇫🇷 pic.twitter.com/hw09ToNvQj — Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) May 17, 2018
PA:Press Association 11 Moussa Sissoko, left, has been named as back-up to the squad
AFP 11 But there is no place for Dimitri Payet, who left the field in tears after getting injured in the Europa League final
REUTERS 11 Kurt Zoum a was relegated with Stoke but could yet go the World Cup
Lacazette looked hungry as Arsenal chased Europa League glory at the end of the season.
But he scored just 14 Prem goals – failing to live up to the £55million price tag the Gunners paid to land him from Monaco last summer.
Martial appears set to leave United after another season in which Mourinho has not appeared to trust him.
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The former Monaco forward scored just 11 goals in 44 outings, with United’s boss starting him in just 18 Prem games.
The Group C favourites start their campaign against Australia in Kazan on the third day of the tournament on June 16.
Five days later they face Peru in Yekaterinburg ahead of a June 26 clash with Denmark in Moscow.
Getty 11 Hugo Lloris is set to captain the France side at Russia 2018
REUTERS 11 Benjamin Mendy had a nightmare season with injury but lifted the Premier League trophy and is now going to the World Cup
It always seems impossible until its done 👏🏾 la route fut longue mais la recompense en vaut la peine … 🇫🇷🏆 #SharksDontRecoverLikeHumans #FiersDetreBleus pic.twitter.com/Y5SmtdUk5m — Benjamin Mendy (@benmendy23) May 17, 2018
Kenny Ramsay - The Sun Glasgow 11 Premier League midfield duo Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante have made the cut for the 23-man squad
France topped a tough European qualifying group that included Sweden, Netherlands and Bulgaria – winning seven matches and drawing two.
Their only defeat in ten matches came when ex-Sunderland loanee Ola Toivonen grabbed an injury-time winner on their trip to Sweden.
Les Bleus were knocked out at the quarter-final stage with a 1-0 defeat to Germany at Brazil 2014.
The 1998 winners lost the 2006 final in Germany on penalties to Italy and will be desperate to avoid a repeat of their 2002 and 2010 campaigns, where they failed to get out of the group.
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Come World Cups or Euro Championships, one thing never changes - it's not easy being an England fan.
After Gareth Southgate named a youthful-looking squad to fight for the trophy in Russia many thought that this is a tournament too soon.
And then you see the France squad.
Despite underachieving in recent times, Didier Deschamps has named five under-23 players, including Kylian Mbappe and Barcelona's Ousmane Dembele.
But let's look at the people who didn't even make it.
(Image: REX/Shutterstock)
And we're not talking Dmitri Payet (injured) and Real Madrid mega-star Karim Benezma (er, sex tape fiasco).
Look at this stand-by list.
Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (St Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Paris St Germain), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Stoke).
Put Mathieu Debuchy to one side, then think 'Danny Welbeck's going to the World Cup'. And Bayern Munich's Kingsley Coman isn't.
And of course it leads to this... because they're all correct
There's always Qatar!
DIMITRI Payet was left out of France’s 23-man World Cup squad on Thursday, a day after being injured during Marseille’s Europa League final defeat by Atletico Madrid.
He has a thigh problem that will need at least three weeks to heal, a delay that prompted coach Didier Deschamps to omit the former West Ham player. Unveiling his squad on French TV, Deschamps said he had no choice but to leave out Payet.
“Without his injury he would have been a serious candidate for the 23-man list,” Deschamps said. “This is a muscular injury, with a risk of a relapse.”
France's forward Anthony Martial celebrates after scoring a goal Source: AFP
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Payet has been in impressive form with Marseille. He is the French league’s top playmaker this season with 13 assists, and claimed three goals and seven assists in the Europa League, starring in the quarterfinals and semifinals. France, runner-up at the European Championship two years ago, opens its World Cup campaign against Australia on June 16. It meets Peru five days later and closes the group stage against Denmark on June 26.
Most of the squad were expected to be selected. The biggest surprise came with the inclusion of Sevilla’s holding midfielder Steven Nzonzi, who was preferred to Paris Saint-Germain’s Adrien Rabiot.
Here's what you've all been waiting for: our 23-man squad for the 2018 @FIFAWorldCup! 👀💪🇫🇷 #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/QEuCyMnblb — French Team (@FrenchTeam) May 17, 2018
The 29-year-old Nzonzi has just two caps.
“Steven has technical skills and an imposing height, he plays in the same fashion as N’golo Kante,” Deschamps said. “And Adrien’s performances with France are not at the same level as those he delivered with PSG this season.” In defense, Djibril Sidibe and Benjamin Mendy were included after recovering from injuries.
Mendy only returned to competition in April with Manchester City but his influence on the left flank is such that Deschamps was not even tempted to overlook the former Monaco left back.
Marseille's French forward Dimitri Payet lays injured during the UEFA Europa League final Source: AFP
In the heart of the defense, Marseille’s Adil Rami took advantage of Laurent Koscielny’s Achilles injury as he was included alongside regular starters Samuel Umtiti and Raphael Varane.
Deschamps also named 11 reserves who won’t be joining France’s training camp next week but could be called up in case of injury.
Manchester United forward Anthony Martial and Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette were not included in the squad but are among the reserves. Real Madrid striker Karim Benzema, who has a strained relationship with Deschamps and also missed Euro 2016, did not make the cut despite being regarded by many as the best French forward of his generation.
Deschamps has plenty of talent to choose from in attack and opted for Antoine Griezmann, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Florian Thauvin, Nabil Fekir and Thomas Lemar.
FRANCE:
Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Marseille), Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain).
Defenders: Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint- Germain), Adil Rami (Marseille), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid).
Midfielders: Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), N’Golo Kante (Chelsea), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla).
Forwards: Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Florian Thauvin (Marseille), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Thomas Lemar (Monaco).
Reserves: Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Kingsley Coman (Bayern), Benoit Costil (Bordeaux), Mathieu Debuchy (Saint-Etienne), Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Alexandre Lacazette (Arsenal), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (PSG), Mamadou Sakho (Crystal Palace), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham), Kurt Zouma (Stoke).
