Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga and Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier have been left out of the France squad for the 2026 World Cup.
France is looking for a third World Cup title and is among the favorites for the event taking place from June 11-July 19 in Canada, Mexico, and the United States.
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Camavinga was part of the France squad that finished runner-up in the last World Cup and came on as a substitute in the final loss to Argentina but was left out by coach Didier Deschamps in his squad announced Thursday.
“He had a difficult season for him where he played less. He also had injuries,” Deschamps said. “It’s true that he’s a player who came very early with us. He is still a young player.
“Because I have choices to make the squad structure also has to be even among the defenders, the midfielders and the forwards. But I understand and I imagine his enormous disappointment this evening.”
Chevalier was another notable absentee after losing his starting spot to Matvei Safonov at PSG and has not played since the end of January.
“The main criteria is sporting performance,” Deschamps said. “I understand that Lucas Chevalier may be disappointed, but he hasn’t played for several months anymore. At the time when he could have had some playing time, he didn’t get any.”
Deschamps rewarded goalkeeper Robin Risser with a call-up for the showpiece tournament following his breakthrough season.
Risser, who plays for Lens, has been one of the revelations of the French league season and won the award for the best goalkeeper earlier this week. He played a big role in making Lens the second-best defense in Ligue 1 and was selected by Deschamps in a No. 3 role behind Mike Maignan and Brice Samba.
France has been drawn in Group I and will take on Senegal, Iraq and Norway during the group stage.
Deschamps is gifted with an impressive attacking reservoir including Kylian Mbappé, Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé, rising star Désiré Doué, Michael Olise, Rayan Cherki and Maghnes Akliouche.
“I have ambition, and I want the players to have it too,” said Deschamps on Thursday. “But I don’t want us to lose our humility. I’m not going to hide and say we’re not among the teams with the potential to become world champions.
“But there are eight, maybe 10 teams that can say that. It’s not by shouting: ‘We’re the best, we’re the strongest.'”
He also called up Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta, who was preferred to Randal Kolo Muani in his 26-man list.
The Tottenham striker had been a late addition to France’s previous World Cup squad four years ago. Kolo Muani scored a goal against Morocco in the semifinals and came close of becoming a national hero in the final before France lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout.
Lens winger Florian Thauvin may also feel disappointed, having been one of the five players nominated for Ligue 1’s player of the season.
It will be Deschamps’ final tournament. He announced this year that he will stop after the World Cup, ending a successful reign which began in 2012 and saw France win the 2018 World Cup and reach the 2022 final.
Former France great Zinedine Zidane is expected to take over, although he has not coached since ending his second spell in charge of Real Madrid, leading the Spanish giant to three Champions League and two La Liga titles.
France World Cup squad:
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Brice Samba, Robin Risser.
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernández, Theo Hernández, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano.
Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté, Manu Koné, Adrien Rabiot, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
