Lucas Digne started for France against Sweden on Tuesday night in the World Cup round of 16, a clear move in Didier Deschamps's selection battle at left-back. At 32, he is the oldest Bleu in the 26-man squad and now has a live chance to hold the spot deeper into the tournament.
Kylian Mbappé points to Lucas Digne
Kylian Mbappé said Deschamps singled out the most senior players when welcoming Robin Risser to the camp, then cut in with a joke of his own: “Coach, ne me touche pas l'épaule, c'est Lucas le plus ancien !” Mbappé added: “Il est arrivé en 2014 ! Waouh ! Ça, ça force le respect. Ça montre une régularité au plus haut niveau.”
That timeline is the point. Digne was in France's Coupe du monde 2014 squad, played one match against Ecuador in the third group game, then went to Euro 2016 and stayed on the bench for the entire tournament. He also missed the Coupe du monde 2018 that France won.
Théo Hernandez and the left side
The selection today is not a reward for age alone. Digne began the Coupe du monde 2026 in direct competition with Théo Hernandez for the left-back position, and the Sweden match put that choice in plain view. He arrived with the profile Mbappé described: “un gars régulier, solide, tu sais ce qu'il va te donner, avec une super patte gauche.”
That is also why the matchup matters in practical terms. Digne is not being asked to reinvent his role; he is being trusted to do the same work he has done for years, with his crossing and set-piece delivery giving France a different left-sided option if Deschamps keeps him in the XI.
France - Suède and the next step
Mbappé said he grew closer to Digne at Euro 2021 because they sat at the same table, and that familiarity now sits behind a selection that has immediate consequences. If France advance, Digne can turn one start against Sweden into more than a stopgap and make his case to remain in the starting eleven for the rest of the competition.
For now, the story is simple: Digne is in, Hernandez is chasing, and the round of 16 has already become a test of whether France keeps faith with the oldest player in Deschamps's squad.
