Blessed with an abundance of riches, France head coach Didier Deschamps has taken something of a gamble with his 2018 World Cup squad. Almost two thirds of the 23 players who helped Les Bleus finish runners-up of Euro 2016 have been jettisoned, with places on the plane to Russia being handed out to a dozen who were uncapped two years ago and as many as seven players who did not even feature in the World Cup qualifying campaign.
I have carried out a factual and statistical survey of the players selected by Deschamps and come up with some interesting observations that may enhance your knowledge and enjoyment of the forthcoming World Cup.
I am compiling similar information on the other 13 European teams in the build-up to the Big Kick-off on Thursday, June 14. The piece on England is already on the site.
Here is the France squad with the players’ current club, caps and goals:
Goalkeepers
Hugo Lloris (Tottenham, 96/0), Steve Mandanda (Marseille, 26/0), Alphonse Areola (PSG, 0/0)
Defenders
Presnel Kimpembe (PSG, 1/0), Lucas Hernández (Atlético Madrid, 2/0), Benjamin Mendy (Manchester City, 4/0), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart, 3/0), Adil Rami (Marseille, 33/1), Djibril Sidibé (Monaco, 15/1), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona, 16/1), Raphaël Varane (Real Madrid, 41/2)
Midfielders
N’Golo Kanté (Chelsea, 22/1), Thomas Lemar (Monaco, 10/3), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus, 64/9), Steven N’Zonzi (Sevilla, 2/0), Paul Pogba (Manchester United, 51/9), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich, 6/0)
Forwards
Ousmane Dembélé (Barcelona, 9/1), Nabil Fekir (Lyon, 10/1), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea, 71/30), Antoine Griezmann (Atlético Madrid, 51/19), Kylian Mbappé (PSG, 12/3), Florian Thauvin (Marseille, 3/0)
The total number of international caps gained by the 23 players is 548. The number of caps gained in competitive fixtures (i.e. World Cup and Euro matches) is 249. The number of caps gained at final tournaments is 90. The number of caps gained at the World Cup finals is 34.
The total number of international goals scored by the 23 players is 81. The number of goals scored in competitive fixtures is 30. The number of goals scored at final tournaments is 13. The number of goals scored at the World Cup finals is 3.
The number of players in the squad appearing at their first final tournament is 13. The number of players appearing at their first World Cup is 16.
There are 9 survivors from the Euro 2016 squad: Lloris, Mandanda, Rami, Umtiti, Kanté, Matuidi, Pogba, Giroud, Griezmann.
There are 6 survivors from the 2014 World Cup squad: Lloris, Varane, Matuidi, Pogba, Giroud, Griezmann.
There are 5 survivors from the Euro 2012 squad: Lloris, Mandanda, Rami, Matuidi, Giroud.
There are 2 survivors from the 2010 World Cup squad: Lloris, Mandanda.
There is 1 survivor from the Euro 2008 squad: Mandanda.
Goalkeepers Lloris and Mandanda are the only players in the 23 travelling to a fifth final tournament.
Two others – Matuidi and Giroud – will be representing France in their fourth, while it is a third
tournament for three more – Rami, Pogba and Griezmann – and a second for another three – Varane, Umtiti and Kanté.
Lloris has played the most final tournament matches: 19 (eight at the World Cup, 11 at the Euro). Indeed, those matches are France’s last 19 tournament fixtures, with the Tottenham ‘keeper having been on the field for every minute of them.
Mandanda, by contrast, has been in four previous France squads at final tournaments, even pre-dating
Lloris with his involvement at Euro 2008, but has yet to get on the field of play.
Six of the squad members have never played a competitive international: Areola, Kimpembe, Lucas, Pavard, N’Zonzi and Thauvin.
Three players have appeared in over 25 competitive internationals. Their records are as follows:
Lloris – Pld 54 W31 D13 L10 (of which at final tournaments Pld 19 W9 D4 L6)
Giroud – Pld 31 W19 D8 L7 (Pld 14 W9 D1 L4)
Matuidi – Pld 29 W21 D3 L5 (Pld 12 W8 D2 L2)
Four of the players are unbeaten in competitive internationals: Kanté (W9 D2), Tolisso (W2 D0),
Dembélé (W1 D1) and Fekir (W2 D1).
Kanté has been on the winning side on all four of his final tournament appearances.
Rami has made 17 competitive appearances for France but has never played in a World Cup match (final tournament or qualifying campaign).
Giroud and Griezmann are the squad’s leading scorers in competitive internationals, with ten goals apiece. Giroud leads the way on World Cup goals with seven to Griezmann’s four – the same number as Pogba has managed.
All ten of Griezmann’s competitive goals have been scored in victories; likewise the five scored by Pogba.
Giroud, Pogba and Matuidi are the only players to have scored at the World Cup finals, each of them having registered once in 2014, Giroud and Matuidi against Switzerland and Pogba versus Nigeria.
Griezmann has the most final tournament goals in the squad, his six having all come at Euro 2016, where he was the top scorer.
Every outfield player in the squad with more than six caps has scored at least one international goal, although only six of those 13 players have found the net for France in a competitive fixture: Matuidi, Pogba, Giroud, Griezmann, Lemar and Mbappé.
Griezmann was the only player to start all ten 2018 World Cup qualifiers, although Sidibé also featured in every game, making nine starts and one substitute appearance.
Giroud and Griezmann were France’s joint top scorers in 2018 World Cup qualifying with four goals apiece from a team total of 18. Six other players found the net, including two – Dimitri Payet and Kevin Gameiro (two goals apiece) – who are not in the squad.
Giroud has scored five goals in previous internationals against France’s Group C opponents – three against Denmark (in two matches) and two against Australia(in one).
In addition to Giroud, three other players have faced Denmark twice – Varane, Matuidi and Griezmann. Lloris, Varane, Matuidi and Pogba have also previously faced Australia. No member of the squad has played against Peru.
Nine of the 23 players belong to French clubs, with Paris Saint-Germain and Marseille each supplying three players, Monaco two and Lyon one.
Six of the 14 foreign-based players play their club football in Spain, five in England, two in Germany and one in Italy. Barcelona, Atlético Madrid and Chelsea have each supplied two players to the squad.
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