Didier Deschamps has confirmed his final squad as France prepares for the 2026 FIFA World Cup after narrowly missing out in the 2022 final against Argentina. The French coach has sparked major debate on social media following the omission of Eduardo Camavinga, Hugo Ekitike, and several other notable stars from his final 26-man squad.
Why Camavinga Missed Out
Didier Deschamps explained the reasons behind leaving Camavinga out of France's squad for the 2026 World Cup. According to GOAL, the 57-year-old said the Real Madrid midfielder endured a difficult campaign affected by injuries and inconsistent form. The France coach noted that Camavinga was part of his squad in March but eventually lost his place because of the intense competition in midfield. He said: "His season made him lose his place. Injuries too, and the competition is very strong in that position. Cama is among the disappointed players. He is still young. In March he was there. I'm not questioning what he is capable of doing, but today he has the right to be angry with me. I understand him." Despite his struggles, Camavinga made 42 appearances for Real Madrid in all competitions, scoring two goals and registering one assist, per Sofascore.
Other Notable Omissions
Randal Kolo Muani was also left out of the squad, with many fans still remembering his missed opportunity in the closing stages of the 2022 World Cup final. Liverpool-linked forward Hugo Ekitike will miss the tournament after suffering an Achilles injury in April that ruled him out for eight months. Juventus duo Pierre Kalulu and Khephren Thuram were also overlooked despite impressive performances in Serie A this season. Elsewhere, Corentin Tolisso, rising Bournemouth attacker Eli Junior Kroupi, and veteran winger Florian Thauvin all failed to make the squad. Meanwhile, former Manchester United midfielder Paul Pogba was also omitted despite returning to professional football last season.
France's 2026 World Cup Squad
Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba.
Defenders: Lucas Digne, Malo Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kounde, Maxence Lacroix, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano.
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante, Manu Kone, Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, Warren Zaïre-Emery.
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Jean-Philippe Mateta, Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Marcus Thuram.
France will test their squad in two friendly matches against Ivory Coast at Nantes on Thursday, June 4, and Northern Ireland in Lille on Monday, June 8. Les Bleus are drawn in Group I against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, per FIFA.
Why Nigeria Will Not Be at the World Cup
Legit.ng earlier reported that former England international Eniola Aluko has attributed the distractions from the protest as the reason why Nigeria failed to qualify for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. The former Birmingham City star explained that the timing of the allowances protest by the players was wrong and affected the psychology of the entire team, including the coaching crew.
