(Football news) France, who haven’t won the title of European Champions since 2000, is hoping to make up for some past tournament wrongs when they head to Germany for this summer’s continental championship.
Deschamps’s team finished second behind Portugal in the 2016 competition, and their Euro 2020 campaign ended prematurely when they lost to Switzerland in the last 16 on penalties.
Following their heartbreaking spot-kick loss to Argentina at the World Cup and their near-miss attempt to retain their title in Qatar, France easily advanced through the Euro 2024 qualifying round with 22 points out of a possible 24.
Les Bleus will square off with Poland, the Netherlands and Austria in Group D of the tournament, and Deschamps confirmed his selection for the Championships on Thursday evening, with one midfield selection in particular standing out.
Former Chelsea lynchpin and current Al-Ittihad man N’Golo Kante has been summoned by Deschamps for Euro 2024, despite not playing for his nation since a Nations League loss to Denmark in June 2022.
The 33-year-old’s final couple of years at Chelsea were blighted by injuries, but he has found form in Saudi Arabia, coming up with four goals and six assists from 41 matches across all tournaments for Al-Ittihad.
Kante has also crucially managed to stay fit for most of the season, and the Premier League, Champions League and World Cup winner will be present to help his nation in Germany this summer.
At the other end of the midfield experience scale, 18-year-old Paris Saint-Germain prospect Warren Zaire-Emery is also part of Deschamps’s selection, as is his teammate Bradley Barcola, the only uncapped player in the ranks.
Real Madrid left-back Ferland Mendy is also part of the 25-man troupe, despite also not playing for his nation since late 2022 on account of his perennial fitness problems, and he benefits from the absence of Lucas Hernandez.
The luckless PSG defender memorably saw his 2022 World Cup campaign cut short by an ACL injury, and a similar issue sustained against Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League has scuppered his hopes of representing Les Bleus this time around too.
Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is a doubt for the Champions League final with a foot issue but has been included nonetheless, while a selection of Premier League players headline the notable absentees.
Chelsea’s Christopher Nkunku – whose first season in West London has been disrupted by injuries – and Aston Villa’s Moussa Diaby are both overlooked, as are the former’s teammates Axel Disasi and Malo Gusto.
Highly-rated Nice defender Jean-Clair Todibo and Crystal Palace winger Michael Olise are also snubbed by Deschamps, whose side face two friendlies with Luxembourg (June 5) and Canada (June 9) before jetting off to Germany.
France open their latest bid for European glory against Austria on June 17, before taking on the Netherlands on June 21 and Poland on June 25 respectively.
