Deschamps Leaves Camavinga and Kolo Muani Out of 26-Man Gusto Chelsea
Didier Deschamps used his 26-man France squad announcement to make the first real cut of the summer, and gusto chelsea is in it through Malo Gusto. Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani are out, a call that trims two players from the 2022 group before France opens its World Cup campaign in New Jersey.
Deschamps put Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele at the center of the attack. Mbappe has scored 56 goals for France, while Dembele has 35 and arrives after winning the Champions League with Paris St-Germain last season, then the Ballon d’Or as only the second French player this century to do so.
Mbappe and Dembele lead France
France’s attacking quartet also includes Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise and Desire Doue, which leaves little room for anyone outside the top layer of the depth chart. Olivier Giroud remains the benchmark for the frontline with 57 goals, but this squad leans harder on Mbappe and Dembele than on reputation or seniority.
Deschamps has been blunt about that balancing act. “It's a squad. Not necessarily the 26 best players. It's about balance and how the team comes together,” he said after the announcement on French TV channel TF1. That is the sort of line coaches use when the roster is good enough to argue about every omission.
Camavinga and Kolo Muani miss out
Camavinga and Kolo Muani were both part of France’s 2022 World Cup squad, so their absence is more than a routine reshuffle. Deschamps added: “I can imagine how disappointed [Camavinga] must be. He's coming off a tough season where he didn't play as much and suffered injuries. [But] I've got decisions to make and a squad to put together.”
Lucas Hernandez, N'Golo Kante, Mbappe and Dembele are the only survivors from France’s 2018 World Cup-winning group, which shows how much the team has turned over around them. Rayan Cherki and William Saliba are among seven Premier League-based players in the squad, while Lucas Chevalier also missed out and Robin Risser was named as back-up to Mike Maignan.
New Jersey on 16 June
France begins against Senegal in New Jersey on 16 June, then plays Iraq on 22 June and Norway on 26 June. With Mbappe chasing France’s men’s scoring record and Dembele entering as a Ballon d’Or winner, Deschamps has chosen a tournament group built to lean on form, not sentiment.
