France Starting Lineup vs Tunisia: World Cup Starting 11 Announced
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They were champions led by a teenage superstar four years ago; now they’re clearly seen amongst the favorites. After a relatively rough outing in Euro 2020, France are back with a vengeance, but without some of the key players from their best recent squads. Let’s take a look at the potential lineup for Les Bleus as they begin their World Cup defense against Australia on November 22.
France Starting 11 Vs. Tunisia
- GK- Hugo Lloris
- LB- Theo Hernández
- CB- Raphaël Varane
- CB- Dayot Upamecano
- RB- Jules Koundé
- MF- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- MF- Adrien Rabiot
- MF- Antoine Griezmann
- LW- Kylian Mbappé
- ST- Olivier Giroud
- RW- Ousmane Dembélé
The most notable aspect of this lineup is actually the names that are not present; legendary midfield duo Paul Pogba and N’Golo Kanté, and Bundesliga top scorer Christopher Nkunku. All three French stars are injured and expected to miss the tournament. AC Milan’s superstar goalkeeper Mike Maignan will also miss the event, although it’s not clear that he would have started over Lloris, despite being the far better player at this point in their respective careers.
The same will also go for 2018 starting defender Presnel Kimpembe. Still, there’s more than enough talent to go around, and France still have every opportunity to go deep and even win this tournament. Regarding Kimpembe, rising star William Saliba might actually be a better option to pair with Varane in central defense. The defensive portion of the lineup will be an interesting test of loyalty against ability. Theo Hernández, by far the best fullback in World Football, is a clear upgrade over his brother Lucas at left back, but is not seen as a lock to replace him, after Lucas started in the victorious. 2018 campaign. Benjamin Pavard also etched his name into history as a starter on that team, and he even scored the goal of the tournament- but Jules Kounde is probably a better option; we’ll see how Deschamps handles these spots as the tournament progresses.
In the midfield, Madrid youngsters Tchouaméni and Camavinga will be thrust into action with the injuries to the veteran starters; this was going to be France’s future, but now it’s their present. Adrien Rabiot will be a stabilizing, veteran presence amongst the talented but less experienced players. France has an embarrassment of riches in attack; they may even opt to play a 4-4-2 at some point so they can run double strikers, rather than stretching their depleted midfield. But one sure starter will be Kylian Mbappé, who often plays striker but will more likely slide to the wing to make room for Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema.
Ousmane Dembélé or Kingsley Coman could play the other wing, or France could go 4-3-1-2 with Mbappé and Benzy as dual strikers with Antoine Griezmann at the attacking midfield spots; it’s hard to go wrong with this group, which will also include the quietly excellent Olivier Giroud off of the bench. France has an insane amount of attacking and defending talent; it will be all on the shoulders of the new midfield to link the team together and keep their game fluid.
France Starting Lineup History
Vs. Denmark
- GK- Hugo Lloris
- LB- Theo Hernández
- CB- Raphaël Varane
- CB- Dayot Upamecano
- RB- Jules Koundé
- MF- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- MF- Adrien Rabiot
- MF- Antoine Griezmann
- LW- Kylian Mbappé
- ST- Olivier Giroud
- RW- Ousmane Dembélé
Vs. Australia
- GK- Hugo Lloris
- LB- Theo Hernández
- CB- Raphaël Varane
- CB- William Saliba
- RB- Benjamin Pavard
- MF- Aurélien Tchouaméni
- MF- Adrien Rabiot
- MF- Eduardo Camavinga
- LW- Kylian Mbappé
- ST- Olivier Giroud
- RW- Ousmane Dembélé
France Starting 11 FAQ
Who Is France’s Starting Goalkeeper?
This could have been an interesting question with the whole roster healthy, but now it’s not; with Maignan out, Lloris will be back in the net as he tries to secure another World title for his country.
Who Is France’s Starting Striker?
France has four excellent players who can all slot in up top, but it seems like it will be Ballon D’Or winner Karim Benzema, if not potentially next year’s winner in Kylian Mbappé, or even a two-striker system featuring both.
Who Is France’s Best Player?
In probably my most controversial take in this whole series, I’m not going with Mbappé or Benzema; either has a claim as the most talented player on the squad, but as just two individuals in a ridiculous attacking group, I’d like to highlight someone who might have more influence on the squad. That’s Theo Hernández, Milan’s do-it-all left back who is just as comfortable locking down star wingers as he is whipping incredible passes down the field, dribbling by a litany of opponents, or shooting in striker-level long shots and penalties. There’s no position in the world with a bigger gap between #1 and #2 than there is between Theo and whoever may be the second best fullback on the planet.
