France coach Didier Deschamps has announced the final squad for the 2022 World Cup with 11 players from the team that won the World Cup in Russia. The 25-member squad was announced at a press conference in Paris last night.
France's World Cup squad is without injured midfielders N'Golo Kante and Paul Pogba. However, Karim Benzema, who won the Ballon d'Or this year, has returned to the attack.
Benzema, who last played in the 2014 World Cup, was neglected in the France team for five and a half years due to blackmailing his national team teammate. However, he returned to the team last year and won the UEFA Nations League.
Benzema, however, is not 100% fit at the moment. But Desham hopes to get the 35-year-old striker fully fit before the first match, saying, 'He played a lot, at a level that was excessive. But Karim knows the World Cup is important for him. He will try his best to play the first match on November 22.
France coach is also taking the injured defender Raphael Varane to Qatar. The French coach believes that this defender of Manchester United will be ready before the first match, 'the physical condition cannot be changed. But since our first match is on the 22nd, I will have a week to prepare.'
Olivier Giroud has also been included in France's World Cup squad. This is the first time the AC Milan striker has been called up to the team since Euro 2021. He played in all the matches for France in the World Cup in Russia but could not score any goals.
France coach Desham is confident about retaining the World Cup title with this team, 'We have a big challenge ahead of us. There is nothing bigger than the World Cup. But I have faith in the players.'
France's campaign in Qatar will begin with a match against Australia on November 22. Denmark (November 26) and Tunisia (November 30) are the other two opponents of the current champions in Group 'D'.
France squad for World Cup 2022:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola, Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandana.
Defenders: Lucas Hernandez, Theo Hernandez, Presnel Kimpembe, Ibrahima Konate, Jules Kunde, Benjamin Paver, William Saliba, Dayat Yupamecano, Rafael Varane.
Midfielders: Eduardo Kamavinga, Youssef Fofana, Mateo Guindozzi, Adrien Rabiot, Orleans Chuameni, Jordan Veretut.
Forwards: Karim Benzema, Kingsley Coman, Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Christopher Nkunku.
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