Chateauroux · National 2 - Group A · Midfielder · #8 · France · 29 yrs
Olivier Giroud, France's all-time leading goalscorer, will not be part of Les Bleus' campaign in North America, creating a significant talking point ahead of the tournament. France heads into the 2026 World Cup as one of the leading contenders to lift the trophy, but there is one notable name missing from Didier Deschamps’ squad. Olivier Giroud, France’s all-time leading goalscorer, will not be part of Les Bleus’ campaign in North America, creating a significant talking point ahead of the tournament. Amidst a star-studded onslaught spearheaded by Kylian Mbappe and national team coach Didier Deschamps getting ready for his last tournament, France remains packed with talent. However, the absence of one of the country’s greatest-ever strikers has left many supporters wondering why the veteran forward is not involved. Deschamps’ side completed its warm-up schedule with a convincing 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland after choosing to prepare primarily in Europe rather than North America. The squad combines elite experience with explosive young talent, making France one of the deepest teams at the tournament once again. Mbappe enters his third World Cup already chasing history. The Real Madrid superstar is now only one goal behind Giroud on France’s all-time scoring list, while also climbing rapidly through the World Cup’s all-time scoring charts after netting 12 goals in only two editions. Dembélé, Mbappé and Olise form a great trio Why Olivier Giroud is missing The explanation behind Giroud’s absence dates back to 2024. The veteran striker officially retired from international soccer following Euro 2024, ending a remarkable career with the French national team. Before that tournament, Giroud made it clear that his international journey was coming to an end. “To be honest, this will be my last competition with Les Bleus,” Giroud said before Euro 2024. “Obviously, I’m going to miss it a lot.” The striker also explained his reasoning for stepping away from the national team. “But I think the French team will be over after the Euros. We need to make way for the youngsters.” Giroud added, “You also have to be careful not to have one season too many. You have to find the right balance.” His retirement meant that, regardless of his club form, he would no longer be available for selection by Deschamps. Olivier Giroud of France celebrates with the 2018 World Cup Trophy Legendary career comes to an end Giroud leaves behind one of the most impressive international careers in French soccer history. He retired with 57 goals in 137 appearances, making him France’s all-time top scorer. Only Hugo Lloris and Lilian Thuram made more appearances for Les Bleus. The striker also played a key role during some of the most successful periods in the national team’s history. He was part of the squad that won the 2018 World Cup and helped France reach the final again in 2022. Across three World Cup tournaments, Giroud scored five goals and consistently delivered in crucial moments. His partnership with Mbappe became one of the defining attacking combinations of the Deschamps era. France still feeling the tactical impact Although France possesses enormous attacking talent, Giroud’s departure has changed the way the team operates. For years, the former Arsenal, Chelsea, and Milan forward served as the perfect focal point. His physical presence, aerial ability, and hold-up play created space for runners around him, particularly Mbappe. Without Giroud, France’s attack has become faster and more fluid, but it lacks a traditional target man. Deschamps now relies on movement, pace, and technical quality rather than a classic center-forward. Olivier Giroud of France looks dejected The veteran striker often provided an alternative route to goal through crosses and direct play when opponents defended deep. Marcus Thuram can offer some physical presence, but his profile differs considerably from Giroud’s. As a result, France has had to adapt its attacking identity ove
France star Ousmane Dembele spoke about Lionel Messi ahead of the 2026 FIFA World Cup. France have the task this summer of matching their performances from the last two editions of the FIFA World Cup and competing for the title once again. Ousmane Dembele is confident in his team’s chances, but he is not overlooking other contenders, including Lionel Messi’s Argentina. During an interview with Marca, Dembele was asked whether he believed Messi could win another World Cup. “Of course, he can win every trophy possible. I already saw it in Barcelona,” began the winger, who played alongside Leo for four seasons with the Spanish club between 2017 and 2021. The Paris Saint-Germain star then pushed back against those who believe Messi is no longer capable of competing at the highest level because of his age. “That changes nothing… He is the best I have ever seen, the best the game has ever seen. He is still dangerous,” said Ousmane. “It’s difficult to stop him even at 38 years old. He may be that age, but he will always have those qualities. We’ll have to be careful with him because he is capable of winning again,” added Dembele, who experienced Messi’s brilliance firsthand in the Qatar 2022 final, where Argentina defeated France on penalties after a 3-3 draw. Dembele and Messi playing for Barcelona in 2018. Dembele names his favorites to win the 2026 World Cup In the same interview, Ousmane Dembele was asked about France‘s chances of competing for the trophy once again. “We know that the French national team has reached the final in each of the last two editions. So we’ll be a team with high expectations,” began the winger. “But we remain focused on the objective. Before thinking about reaching the Round of 16 or the quarterfinals, you first have to get through the group-stage matches.” He then shared his thoughts on Spain, whom many consider the other major favorite. “They are an exceptional team collectively and have very good players… They have been playing this way for years and years, with players of the highest level,” said Ousmane. “In Spain, possession is something that comes naturally to them.” However, Dembele made it clear that the race for the title will not necessarily come down to those two teams. “There are many teams that are favorites in this competition… Spain, having just won the European Championship, are certainly one of the favorites. But there are also Argentina, the reigning world champions, Germany, Portugal and England. They are all great national teams,” explained the current Ballon d’Or winner. “That said, we’ll also have to be careful with the teams that are considered less likely to win.”
Of the dozens of players he has had the chance to play with since the start of his career, Ousmane Dembélé (29) is in no doubt: Lionel Messi (38) is without question the best of them all. That’s w...
Ousmane Dembele has come to the defence of Kylian Mbappe, insisting that the criticism aimed at the Real Madrid forward has gone far beyond what is fair.The former Barcelona winger, now one of Paris S...
With Ousmane Dembele reportedly demanding him more defensive effort, Kylian Mbappe's exit from France's camp drew criticism among fans. The 2026 World Cup has not even started, and Kylian Mbappe is already generating friction within the France national team, and not because of anything that has happened on the pitch. Reports have surfaced claiming that Ousmane Dembele confronted him about his defensive effort, and Mbappe’s decision to leave the team’s training camp on the final day has sparked further discontent among supporters. France‘s last pre-tournament friendly came against Northern Ireland at the Decathlon Arena in Lille, a match designed in part as a farewell to the home fans ahead of the trip to North America. While Mbappe featured in the game, his departure from the training camp just hours after the final whistle drew scrutiny once it became public. The exit itself had been authorized by the federation, as Mbappe had personal matters to attend to, but the discomfort only grew when images began circulating on social media showing him in Madrid with his girlfriend, Ester Esposito. To many French supporters, the timing, coming so close to the team’s departure for the World Cup, read as a signal of misplaced priorities. The episode adds fuel to a controversy that had already been building following a report from L’Equipe, which claimed that Dembele confronted Mbappe in the locker room, urging him to take a more active role in pressing and ball recovery. The conversation reignited the long-running debate surrounding Mbappe’s commitment to the defensive phase, a part of the game that has never been a hallmark of his style, particularly in contrast to his former PSG teammate. A feud between Mbappe and Kante? Beyond the Dembele episode and his post-camp excursion, the atmosphere within France’s dressing room has raised further eyebrows. One moment in particular went viral after footage captured what appeared to be a noticeably cold exchange between Mbappe and N’Golo Kante. Mais les gars il se passe quoi entre Mbappé et Kanté, pourquoi ils s’évitent comme ça ??????Pour réussir à se mettre N’Golo à dos il faut le faire quand même pic.twitter.com/GxEPqzkDfR— 𝔇𝔧𝔦𝔟𝔦𝔫𝔥𝔬 🇨🇷 (@DjibinhoPvris_) June 5, 2026 In the tunnel before taking the field against Ivory Coast, Kante was seen warmly greeting every player in the squad, but when he reached Mbappe, both men visibly looked away from each other, with no handshake or acknowledgment exchanged. One reported source of the tension dates back to March 29, 2026, during the France vs. Colombia match, when Kante, wearing the captain’s armband for the first time on his birthday, was asked to hand it over when Mbappe entered the field with roughly ten minutes remaining. France takes off to the United States Despite the turbulence surrounding their captain, France have departed for the United States and are preparing to make their presence felt at the 2026 World Cup. The squad flew out of Le Bourget airport near Paris, and after an eight-hour flight, Les Bleus are landing in Boston on Wednesday night, which will serve as their base of operations throughout the tournament. Following a 2-1 defeat against Ivory Coast and a 3-1 victory over Northern Ireland in their warm-up games, France open their World Cup campaign on Tuesday, June 16, against Sadio Mane’s Senegal in Group I. With Iraq and Erling Haaland’s Norway also in the group, Deschamps will need the best version of Mbappe to navigate what is widely considered the most difficult group of the tournament.
Didier Deschamps will call time on his France tenure after the World Cup, and Ousmane Dembele wants to give him a winning send off. The post Dembele: Deschamps’ looming exit will not affect France’s World Cup bid appeared first on SoccerNews.
