In their first four games in June, the reigning world champions France had a shaky start to their 2022–23 UEFA Nations League campaign, drawing two and losing two of their qualifiers.
However, Didier Deschamps will have a much clearer notion of who he will choose in his 26-man squad for Qatar 2022 after those games and the 17-day training camp that went along with them.
Here, we take a close look at five France team players who seem destined to shine once the action begins.
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Hugo Lloris
Position: Goalkeeper
Age: 35
While Mike Maignan may well be starting to stake a serious claim for the France No1 jersey, Hugo Lloris is still expected to get the nod between the sticks. Speaking in a press conference in early June, Didier Deschamps confirmed that the Tottenham shot-stopper will continue to be Les Bleus’ last line of defence at Qatar 2022 – and possibly beyond.
With 139 caps to his name, the vastly experienced Lloris is poised to surpass Lilian Thuram’s 142-game tally and become France’s most-capped player. The reliable keeper lifted the World Cup crown in 2018 and is the epitome of consistency. Indeed, he featured in all 38 of Spurs’ league fixtures during the 2021/22 campaign, a feat he has achieved in each of the past ten seasons.
Raphael Varane
Position: Centre-back
Age: 29
Following a dazzling decade at the heart of the Real Madrid defence, Raphael Varane endured a tough debut season at Manchester United. Dogged by injuries to his groin, foot and thigh, the former RC Lens stopper managed just 22 run-outs in the Premier League. We have to go back a whole seven years to the 2014/15 season for the last time he made so few appearances. However, the assured start he has made to the current campaign offers everyone in the France camp plenty of reason for optimism.
Varane also missed several of France’s games last term, including three of the four Nations League encounters in June. Despite the towering centre-back’s injury travails, Deschamps still considers him to be the main man in Les Bleus’ backline. Boasting international experience (86 caps) that belies his age, an enviable trophy haul, including a World Cup and four Champions Leagues, and the record as the national team’s youngest-ever captain at 21 years and six months, the Lille-born centre-back still has much to offer.
Kylian Mbappe
Position: Forward
Age: 23
The Bondy-born attacking ace enjoyed a sensational campaign last time out at Paris Saint-Germain, landing his fifth Ligue 1 title and becoming the first player in the division to top both the scoring and assist charts in the same season (28 and 17 respectively). The jet-heeled wonderkid has started the 2022/23 season in equally devastating fashion, notching four goals in as many games.
A difference-maker on a consistent basis for Les Bleus since the 2018 showpiece in Russia, having hit 23 of his 27 international goals in the ensuing period, Mbappe is set to play a pivotal role in Deschamps’ side in Qatar. He has already earned 57 caps and seems certain to send all of the national-team records tumbling, including the all-time leading scorer tally, which is currently held by Thierry Henry (51 goals). It is well worth noting that, at the same age as Mbappe, the former Arsenal hotshot had found the net just eight times for his country.
Karim Benzema
Position: Striker
Age : 34
The new Ballon d’Or winner and Real Madrid hitman grabbed the headlines in a dream 2021/22 season that yielded a raft of magical moments: fifth triumphs in both La Liga and the Champions League, a fourth Spanish Super Cup, plus, for the first time since signing for Los Merengues back in 2009, the Pichichi award for the leading scorer in the Spanish top flight with 27 goals. The striker also finished top of the Champions League scoring charts courtesy of his 15-goal haul en route to glory in the continent’s elite club competition.
By scoring in Los Merengues’ 2-0 UEFA Super Cup victory over Eintracht Frankfurt, the prolific shooter got this season started to a strong start. The former Olympique Lyonnais player is a strong prospect to continue in Zinedine Zidane’s path. Since his comeback to the national team lineup at EURO 2020, which was played in 2021, Benzema has established himself as a crucial player for Les Bleus, scoring a remarkable ten goals to raise his total to 37.
Benzema will be counted on by Deschamps to lead his team to success in Qatar 2022. The Real Madrid forward is on the verge of being the ninth player to play for France to reach 100 appearances after earning 97 caps.
