Didier Deschamps, coach of the French national team, announced his squad for the upcoming international break in early September.
The French national team is scheduled to play two matches in the opening round of 2026 World Cup qualifiers: the first against Ukraine on September 5, and the second against Iceland on September 9.
The biggest surprise in the squad was Deschamps’ decision to exclude Liverpool striker Hugo Ekitike, despite him scoring three goals in his first three matches for the Reds.
The other surprise, and also controversial, was the coach’s decision to call up Adrien Rabiot, despite him not playing for Marseille since the start of the season, due to his disagreements with coach Roberto De Zerbi.
At the same time, Deschamps excluded Randle Kolo Muani from his squad after his failure to play for Paris Saint-Germain and the difficulties he faced in joining Juventus. He was replaced by Monaco star Magnus Akiloch.
France’s squad for the September international break is as follows:
Goalkeepers: Chevalier, Maignan, Brice Samba.
Defenders: Digne, Gusto, Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Konate, Koundé, Saliba, Upamecano.
Midfielders: Manu Kone, Rabiot, Tchouameni, Khephren Thuram.
Attackers: Akliuch, Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Ousmane Dembélé, Oliseh, Marcus Thuram, Kylian Mbappé, Doue.
