As we are only four months away from the FIFA World Cup 2022, the vibe of the tournament is all around us. We have 32 teams, 8 groups, and everything ready for the greatest sporting event on the planet. The host nation Qatar is gearing up to kick off the tournament on 21st November, which will wrap up with the Final on 18th December. The defending World Champions France will be the hot favorites once again in the World Cup 2022.
Didier Deschamps’ side is most notable for their squad depth. Les Blues have proven goal-machines like Karim Benzema and Kylian Mbappe. According to Surprise Sports, German legend Lothar Matthaus talked about the depth of the France roster. Lothar Matthaus said, “I think France is a very good team as they have very good players, not only Mbappé. They have a team that can field at least three first XIs.”
How will France line up in the World Cup 2022? Here we will pick a France XI for the World Cup 2022 analysing their recent rosters and performances.
France XI in a 3-4-1-2 Formation:
- Hugo Lloris (Tottenham) – GK
- Presnel Kimpembe (PSG) – CB
- Raphael Varane (Man Utd) – CB
- Jules Kounde (Sevilla) – CB
- Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich) – RWB
- Theo Hernandez (AC Milan) – LWB
- N’Golo Kante (Chelsea) – CM
- Tchouameni (Real Madrid) – CM
- Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid) – AMF
- Karim Benzema (Real Madrid) – CF
- Kylian Mbappe (PSG) – CF
Goalkeeper
Tottenham’s number 1 Hugo Lloris will be the first choice between the posts for France in the World Cup. Mike Maignan (AC Milan) and Alphonso Areloa (West Ham) should make the squad as back-up GKs.
Defense
Raphael Varane and Presenel Kimpembe have been playing under Deschamps for a long time. They were also selected for the Nations League games in June. Sevilla defender Jules Kounde, Chelsea and Barcelona’s top transfer target in this summer transfer window, also got the nod to start in France’s defense.
Among other defenders, Liverpool’s goal-scoring defender Ibrahima Konate, Bayern Munich’s Benjamin Pavard, and Lucas Digne of Aston Villa are the frontrunners for the World Cup 2022 roster.
Midfielder
N’Golo Kante has been the silent-killer in France’s holding midfield. He was the crucial piece in the midfield in their World Cup winning campaign in 2018. Alongside Kante, we may see Real Madrid’s new big-budget signing Tchouameni in the midfield. Matteo Guendouzi was excellent for Marseille last season and he made the Nations League roster. Boubakar Kamara (Aston Villa) and Rabiot (Juventus) are under Deschamps’ radar as well.
Forward
Among the guaranteed forwards, we have Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema, Antoine Griezmann, and Kingsley Coman. They are absolutely game changers for their clubs.
Karim Benzema is living his dreams in Real Madrid. He won the La Liga and Champions League last season and became the leading scorer in both competitions. Kylian Mbappe scored 28 goals in Ligue 1 for PSG last season. Kingsley Coman has been the versatile player for Bayern Munich. He would play as winger and attacking wing-back.
Among other forwards, Christopher Nkunku (RB Leipzig) and Moussa Diaby (Bayer Leverkusen) are the frontrunners to make the World Cup roster for France.
Ousmane Dembele hasn’t been called up since Euro 2020 (held in 2021). However, he was in a terrific form after Xavi took over Barcelona last season. He may make it to the World Cup if he continues similar form. Olivier Giroud, Marcus Thuram, and Mousa Sissoko were not in the Nations League squad.
France will play against Denmark, Australia, and Tunisia in Group D in the World Cup 2022. You can check out all the details of the World Cup Live Streaming here.
