The end of several players’ international careers means the squad is younger, said coach Didier Deschamps, who named brothers Khu00e9phren and Marcus Thuram to his first squad since the World Cup last year. Clearly, we have less experience.
The Thuram brothers are the sons of legendary France defender Lilian Thuram, who played alongside Deschamps when France won the World Cup in 1998 and its second European championship in 2000. Their selection reveals how Deschamps intends to rebuild.
We want to be competitive while having answers for the future. He stated. Because our first two games were already difficult, we feel obligated. Forward Marcus Thuram, who represented France at the World Cup, is the elder brother of Khu00e9phren Thuram, a 21-year-old Nice midfielder who hopes to earn his first cap alongside his sibling.
I’ve always wanted to play with him, whether in the back garden or at the highest level, Khu00e9phren said. Meanwhile, Mbappu00e9 takes over as captain from veteran goalkeeper Hugo Lloris. Following the World Cup final loss to Argentina last December, Lloris and central defender Raphael Varane retired from international football.
Varane’s departure creates a healthy competition for his spot between Ibrahima Konatu00e9 of Liverpool and Dayot Upamecano of Bayern Munich. There are also new faces, with Lens goalkeeper Brice Samba and Chelsea center back Wesley Fofana being called up for the first time.
Mbappu00e9, however, will be the center of attention on Friday. His hat trick in the World Cup final catapulted him into football stardom, making him a natural choice for Deschamps when it came to replacing Lloris, France’s all-time leading goalkeeper with 145 caps.
Varane played the final of his 93 games for Les Bleus against Argentina, and he collapsed on the sidelines near the end of extra time, unable to stand. Varane’s exhaustion summed up how much he gave for France, including helping the country win the World Cup in 2018 alongside Lloris and Mbappu00e9. But maybe Deschamps sensed it was time for a change.
By retiring, Lloris and Varane took that decision away from him, and Deschamps now has the luxury of having AC Milan standout Mike Maignan as his No. 1. When Milan won the Italian league in 2022, the 27-year-old Maignan was outstanding.
Benzema was also outstanding throughout 2022, but he left the World Cup injured without kicking a ball. He has contested a newspaper interview in which Deschamps explained what happened when Benzema left Qatar. Deschamps has refused to answer any further questions about Benzema, France’s leading scorer at the 2020 European Championship.
Another self-imposed exile from the national team likely means the end of the Real Madrid star’s international career after 97 caps and 37 goals. Another well-known French football figure has died, but for very different reasons.
Long-serving Nol Le Grat, the president of the French Football Federation, who had a close relationship with Deschamps and renewed his contract in January, resigned three weeks ago. Because of his behavior towards women and management style, a government audit determined he no longer had the legitimacy to lead.
While France turned the page in various ways, the Dutch are beginning a new era under coach Ronald Koeman. In his second stint as coach, the former Barcelona coach has promised to return the Netherlands to flowing attacking football.
Argentina defeated the Netherlands in the World Cup quarterfinals. The Dutch media chastised Koeman’s predecessor, Louis van Gaal, for what they saw as an abrasive and defensive style of play.
Forward Memphis Depay is the Oranje’s second-highest goal scorer with 43 goals, closing in on Robin van Persie’s record of 50. After facing France, Koeman’s team will take on Gibraltar.
