Mbappe and Dembele lead France World Cup squad
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 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.