Didier Deschamps’ 14-year tenure as Les Bleus boss will end after the 2026 World Cup despite pressure for him to quit earlier. Nonetheless, France’s national team is entering a new age and this is clearest in the attack. Indeed, Deschamps has a new-look forward line that could fire France to another World Cup.
Anyone who has watched Paris Saint-Germain recently will have had a hint of what France’s next generation of attack looks like. Bradley Barcola and Désiré Doué have given Luis Enrique’s team some homegrown energy this season, improving as PSG have grown into genuine Champions League challengers over the course of the campaign.
Of course, Deschamps views the game very differently to Enrique. France won’t play on the halfway line at the 2026 World Cup. They won’t look to control matches through possession because France have never played in this manner under Deschamps. Deschamps-ball is nothing like Lucho-ball.
However, France will still play in a way that gives Barcola and Doué plenty open space to attack. Barcola’s raw speed makes him a constant threat on the break while Doué has the technical ability to cut inside, link up and get into good goalscoring positions. Barcola is 22, Doué just 19. They have an extremely bright future for club and country ahead of them.
Michael Olise is another member of France’s next generation already making a profound impact at the elite level of the club game. The 23-year-old is enjoying an excellent first season at Bayern Munich, contributing 22 goal involvements (13 goals, nine assists) in all competitions for the Bavarians.
Olise is an all-round threat. He is Bayern’s top assist-maker this season. Meanwhile, only Harry Kane and Jamal Musiala have scored more goals than him. The former Crystal Palace winger has created more Big Chances (19) than any other Bayern player and is also a prolific dribbler (2.9 per 90 minutes).
This gives Deschamps a lot to work with. Olise has been most commonly used by Vincent Kompany on the right side of the Bayern Munich attack, but he is also comfortable in a central position. The 23-year-old could be a key part of France’s next generation as they move on from the era of Giroud and Griezmann.
Kylian Mbappé remains France’s main man up front. After a sluggish start to life at Real Madrid, he has reminded everyone of his match-winning quality recently, scoring 17 goals in his last 17 matches. With Los Blancos still in the Champions League after sweeping aside Manchester City and Atlético Madrid, Mbappé could end the season a European champion.
Deschamps-ball has always been good for Mbappé because of the space it affords him. This space allows him to stretch the pitch and make the most of his blistering pace. There also isn’t much expectation on the Real Madrid forward to press from the front because France don’t do much of that as a team.
Mbappé has long produced his best form for the national team and there’s no reason to believe that won’t continue to be the case even amid tension between the player and Deschamps. Mbappé confirmed “disagreements” between him and the France manager that came to a head last year, but is back in the squad.
Then there’s Ousmane Dembélé. Long written off as a waste of potential, something has finally clicked for the 27-year-old who has scored an incredible 22 goals for PSG since the turn of the year. Now being used in a central role at club level, Dembélé is finding that his natural ability with both feet allows him to be more influential.
Tactically, Deschamps might not be able to fit Mbappé and Dembélé into the same forward line, but he has the options to make France one of the most fearsome teams in the international game again. At Euro 2024, Les Bleus were confusingly lifeless in the final third. They were easy to play against as Spain dumped them out in the semi-finals. France have the talent to be much better at the 2026 World Cup.
This is without even mentioning the likes of Randal Kolo Muani, Christopher Nkunku, Marcus Thuram and Kingsley Coman, all of whom have the ability to impact matches at the elite level. France once again boast one of the deepest talent pools in the international game. They should be among the frontrunners in the USA, Canada and Mexico next year.
(Cover image from IMAGO)
You can follow every UEFA Nations League game on FotMob – with in-depth stat coverage including xG, shot maps, and player ratings. Download the free app here.
