France national team: the winners and losers among the substitutes

In Sunday’s 3-1 win over Colombia, many France players impressed manager Didier Deschamps, with less than three months to go until the 2026 World Cup. Others, such as Eduardo Camavinga, may well regret their poor performance…

“There are a good twenty or so who, provided they have no fitness issues, will be there,” said Didier Deschamps after France’s 3-1 friendly win over Colombia on Sunday.

The French manager, who fielded an (impressive) reshuffled starting eleven three days after the first-team’s victory over Brazil (2-1), has no doubt got the answers he was looking for regarding certain players. Notably in the attacking line-up.

Doué seized his chance, as did Cherki

For some seized their chance against the Cafeteros. Starting with Désiré Doué, who has been less flamboyant with Paris Saint-Germain in recent months but scored a brace at the Northwest Stadium. Not to mention Marcus Thuram, who celebrated his return with a fine headed goal after missing the last two gatherings. Behind Hugo Ekitike, the Inter Milan striker has made his mark, as his role as a target man offers the French manager a wealth of options. Barring injury, he will undoubtedly be part of the squad.

Rayan Cherki, who was involved in two of his team’s three goals, has also taken a big step towards the United States. Despite a few lapses in concentration – which are quite rare for him – the Manchester City attacking midfielder can break the deadlock at any moment and will be invaluable in a substitute role. The same goes for Maghnes Akliouche, who provided a superb assist for Thuram and was at the heart of the move leading to the third goal. Behind Michael Olise, it will no doubt be the Monegasque player, much to Florian Thauvin’s disappointment.

Zaïre-Emery impressive, Camavinga disappointing

When it comes to standout performances, how could we not mention Warren Zaïre-Emery? The Parisian put in a strong performance in midfield, as did N’Golo Kanté. Finally, Maxence Lacroix also showcased his talent in central defence, but that might not be enough to make the squad as Lucas Hernández, despite a few misplaced passes that ultimately put his team in danger, still performed rather well. All the more so as DD values his versatile and experienced profile.

As for the full-backs, Pierre Kalulu hasn’t shown enough to challenge Malo Gusto, given that Jules Koundé is likely to start at the World Cup. Lucas Digne, who has also been fairly unremarkable, has missed the chance to edge ahead of Théo Hernandez. Finally, the underperformers are few and far between. They have all started on the bench, failing to impress: Eduardo Camavinga, who put in a poor performance in Washington, and Randal Kolo Muani. For them, a place at the World Cup is by no means guaranteed…