Didier Deschamps
As France reels from a devastating FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 final loss to Argentina, Didier Deschamps has declared Les Bleus is still blessed with abundant talent, with players proving their worth in Qatar.
Some of France’s biggest names were ruled out of the tournament before the opening match, including 2022 Ballon d’Or winner and star striker Karim Benzema and midfielders Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kante. Others were defender Presnel Kimpembe and forward Christopher Nkunku.
The injuries to Kante and Pogba massively impacted Deschamps midfield plans, as both players were integral to the national team set up. They played critical roles in Les Bleus’ victory in Russia four years ago.
The absence of these players meant Deschamps opted for exciting young Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni and established squad star Adrien Rabiot in the heart of the French midfield.
“Potentially, the French team has always had a huge amount of players to choose from. Of course, before this competition, even if they were young players who didn’t have much experience, they proved that they could be at a high level,” Deschamps said after the final match.
“Others weren’t here but could be there next time. Of course, we always need experienced players to help the younger players,” added the 54-year-old, who had young players like Kylian Mbaape, Kolo Muani, William Saliba, Camavinga, Tchouameni, and Kingsley Coman all less than 27 years of age.
Deschamps said young French players have to be properly recruited and stressed Les Bleus always has choices and a group to shape and train to have a united spirit in addition to the quality.
“I wasn’t worried before, and I’m not going to worry now for the future. But, we were in the final of the 2016 Euros and the final in 2018 (World Cup), where we won; we won the Nations League.
“We were knocked out the last Euros quite early, and now we are in the final. So many players were present during these competitions. However, there is a maturity age, which means that if you find the correct balance, you will have young players who can reach a top level, just as was the case four years ago for some of them, and just as it is the case at this World Cup.”
France will head into the Nations league next year with a plethora of young stars and returning squad regulars, with stars like Antoine Griezmann (31), Pogba (29), and Raphael Varane (29) serving as a link between generations.
