Midfielder N'Golo Kante and forward Kingsley Coman have been surprisingly called up by coach Didier Deschamps to the 25-man squad for France's participation in Euro 2024 in Germany.
Coach Deschamps has registered only 25 players, one less than the UEFA limit. He had previously done the same before the 2022 World Cup but added an extra player when the tournament approached, which was Marcus Thuram. This time, Deschamps stated that he didn't want to have to exclude too many players, hence the decision to register only 25 individuals.
Kante's inclusion comes as a bigger surprise, considering he moved from Chelsea to Al Ittihad in the Saudi Pro League in the summer of 2023. This season, the 33-year-old midfielder has scored four goals in 41 appearances for the Saudi Arabian club, but he faces tough competition for a starting spot on the national team against younger players like Adrien Rabiot, Aurelien Tchouameni, and Eduardo Camavinga.
[caption id="attachment_5283" align="alignnone" width="600"] The list of 25 French national team players participating in Euro 2024 in Germany. Image: FFF[/caption]
Forward Coman has also been called up despite nursing an injury and being sidelined for a few weeks. However, France has sent medical staff to Munich to assess the extent of the winger's injury, determining that he still has a chance to participate in Euro 2024. Nevertheless, Coman faces tough competition for a starting position against stars like Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele.
Another surprising name in the squad is left-back Ferland Mendy, who returns after two years. Mendy has been a regular starter for Real Madrid over the past five seasons but has only played nine games for the national team. His inclusion may be partly due to left-back Lucas Hernandez's injury absence. However, Lucas's younger brother, Theo Hernandez, is likely to play on the left flank.
Deschamps has also called up 22-year-old left forward Bradley Barcola for the first time, adding to the attacking options. Apart from Barcola, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) contributes five players to the squad, primarily in the forward positions. Besides Barcola, PSG also has Mbappe, Dembele, Warren Zaire-Emery, and Randal Kolo Muani in the squad. Kolo Muani is likely to start, while 38-year-old veteran Olivier Giroud will serve as a backup option due to his height advantage.
Euro 2024 will take place in Germany from June 14 to July 14, featuring 24 teams divided into six groups of four teams each, with 16 teams advancing to the Round of 16. Mbappe and his teammates are in Group D alongside Poland, the Netherlands, and Austria. They will kick off their campaign against Austria on June 17, followed by matches against the Netherlands and Poland, each four days apart.
Squad List:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (West Ham United), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Lens).
Defenders: Jules Kounde (Barcelona), Jonathan Clauss (Marseille), Benjamin Pavard (Inter), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Theo Hernandez (AC Milan), Ferland Mendy (Real Madrid).
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), Youssouf Fofana (Monaco), Adrien Rabiot (Juventus), Warren Zaire-Emery (PSG), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), N’Golo Kante (Al-Ittihad).
Forwards: Bradley Barcola (PSG), Ousmane Dembele (PSG), Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Olivier Giroud (AC Milan), Randal Kolo Muani (PSG), Kylian Mbappe (PSG), Marcus Thuram (Inter).
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