France squad for UEFA EURO 2024: Who’s in and Who’s out, Key Players and Predicted Lineup

There is no doubt that France will be one of the strongest title contenders in Euro 2024. Les Bleus are filled with world-class players in every position on the pitch. With a combination of young and experienced players, France would be a serious threat to other contestants.

A disastrous Round of 16 performance in the previous edition of Euro has been gone for a long time from the players’ minds. France came with a different mentality after going through the qualifying phase. 

It shows from the unbeaten run during the qualifying phase where they collected 22 points from eight games, including beating the Netherlands back-and-forth. The only time France failed to win in the qualifiers was in the last game of the phase where they secured a group stage spot. 

For the last few years, France has been known for their talented young players and the flow isn’t seemingly stopping.

Goalkeepers

After Hugo Lloris’ era, France still have another stock of goalies to rely on under the post. The two strongest candidates, Alphonse Areola and Mike Maignan, are included in the squad. One other name is Lens’ Brice Samba who is standing as a third-choice goalkeeper for the tournament.

Maignan was giving the France fans an anxious time when he got injured back in April before the game against Juventus. Luckily, the AC Milan goalkeeper could make it in time and is expected to be fit next week.

Defenders

France will have one of the most consistent player of the 2023/24 campaign, William Saliba on their squad. Arsenal’s vital component from the last league campaign is likely to be the first-choice defender to start the game. Alongside him, there is Ibrahima Konaté who started to establish himself in Liverpool’s backline last season. 

Ferland Mendy is another favorite to be a starter for France in Euro 2024 following his glorious season with Real Madrid, winning both La Liga and the Champions League. Theo Hernández and Benjamin Pavard would either fight for the flank spot or be plotted at both sides of the pitch. 

Dayot Upamecano has started to lose his place with Bayern Munich but Deschamps still called him in. The likes of Barcelona’s Jules Koundé and Marseille’s Jonathan Clauss are also other names to be part of France’s squad in the Euro this year. 

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Midfielders

It is unlikely for Eduardo Camavinga to not be guaranteed a spot in the midfield. He has been usefully versatile for Carlo Ancelotti’s Real Madrid in winning two titles last season. He and his Madrid teammate Aurélien Tchouaméni would play under the guidance of Adrien Rabiot who has been a vital part of France’s midfield for a couple of years.

N’Golo Kante is surprisingly still called to the squad after going off the radar since joining Saudi side Al-Ittihad. The former Chelsea midfielder would add competition in the midfield alongside several well-known names like Warren Zaïre-Emery, Youssouf Fofana, and Antoine Griezmann.

Forwards

Let’s just not talk about Real Madrid’s newly-announced forward Kylian Mbappé as the 25-year-old is almost guaranteed first place in the squad. It is the rest of the forward list who have to fight for the two remaining spots up front.

Inter Milan’s Marcus Thuram could be a dark horse in France’s forward contention. The all-time top scorer, Olivier Giroud, could be a turf in crucial moments but Deschamps is likely to put him on the bench first.  

Randal Kolo Muani, Ousmane Dembélé, and Kingsley Coman would have to compete with PSG’s Bradley Barcola for a first-pick spot. With all of these decorated names, Deschamps just has to focus on the tactics in order to bring back the trophy which has been gone for 24 years. 

Predicted Lineup for France in Euro 2024

Despite Alphonse Areola being a decent goalkeeper for West Ham, Deschamps likely prefers to pick Mike Maignan as a first-choice goalkeeper. The latter has been more consistent for Milan compared to Areola who is having tough competition from Łukasz Fabiański.

Playing a four-defenders formation, Saliba is a favorite after what he had with Arsenal last season. Konaté is also a strong candidate to stand in front of Maignan at the back. Hernández and Mendy are playing on both flanks, giving France flexibility in transition. 

In the midfield, Antoine Griezmann may be pivotal for France a few years back but Camavinga would be a fresh option. Up front, only injury could prevent Mbappé from starting the game, with Ousmane Dembélé and Marcus Thuram filling the two remaining spots.

France Predicted Line-Up (4-3-3): Mike Maignan (GK); Ferland Mendy, William Saliba, Ibrahima Konaté, Theo Hernández , Aurélien Tchouaméni, Adrien Rabiot, Eduardo Camavinga, Marcus Thuram, Ousmane Dembélé, Kylian Mbappé (C)

Players missing for France in UEFA Euro 2024

With a lot of famous players within the squad, it’s easy to understand that some names were not picked by Deschamps for the flight to Germany. The causes of those left out vary, from injuries to purely not being picked. 

Lucas Hernández will not join his brother Theo due to injury. He picked up a knee injury in the first half of the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund last month. This is also the case with Aston Villa’s Boubacar Kamara who has been injured since February.

France’s biggest superstar in the 2018 World Cup, Paul Pogba, is not even eligible to play following his suspension. Meanwhile, Christopher Nkunku failed to impress Deschamps with inconsistent form with Chelsea throughout last season.

Also Read: A tactical preview for Germany National Football Team playing at Euro 2024