France’s ridiculously good reserve XI that would win the World Cup
France are clearly the best team at the 2026 World Cup so far, but their squad is so stacked that a second XI would be pretty unbeatable too.
But Didier Deschamps’ starting XI were barred, how good would the team be? Here’s the France backup XI that could challenge for the World Cup on its own.
GK: Robin Risser
With Maignan in goal, the reserve spot goes to Lens’ Robin Risser.
The 21-year-old kept 11 clean sheets for the team that finished second in Ligue 1 and only Lille’s Berke Ozer kept more.
RB: Malo Gusto
As with all Chelsea players, it will be interesting to see how they perform away from the chaos of the Stamford Bridge club.
Gusto will most likely be on the bench for France with Jules Kounde hard to drop but an assist in his second-half appearance against Northern Ireland will have made his case.
CB: Ibrahima Konate
The departing Liverpool centre-back could get a starting spot for Deschamps’ team but was confined to the bench in favour of Upamecano and Saliba.
Konate may well have been a certain pick this time 12 months ago but a shaky final season at Anfield has likely got him playing second fiddle.
It hasn’t deterred Real Madrid though; they’ve only gone and done it again.
CB: Maxence Lacroix
The French defender’s stock is already rising in the world of football after an impressive year with Crystal Palace.
He played 35 of the Eagles’ Premier League matches, earning him a spot in Deschamps’ squad. His age suggests he could be a starter come the European Championship in two years time.
LB: Lucas Hernandez
Lucas’ brother Theo started the game but Lucas could definitely do a job if called upon.
That left back spot would be a toss-up between Hernandez or Lucas Digne who has done well at Aston Villa but is now 32.
The other Hernandez, meanwhile, made 25 appearances for PSG in their double-winning season.
CM: Manu Kone
The defensively minded midfielder plays his football at Roma and was one of the club’s best performers as they finished third.
For France, he has played 14 matches and this is his first World Cup. He has featured in the knockout stages but returned to the bench following the return of Aurelien Tchouameni.
CM: Warren Zaire-Emery
Zaire-Emery looks almost certain to be a key figure for France and PSG for years to come with the 20-year-old operating at a very high level.
He’s played 183 times for his club but has just 11 national team appearances so far, a number that so far doesn’t include any 2026 World Cup appearances.
Should either Rabiot or Tchouameni need resting, Zaire-Emery will surely be waiting to take their spot.
RW: Maghnes Akliouche
The 24-year-old Akliouche looks like a talent destined to leave Monaco before too long, with PSG, Atletico Madrid and Tottenham all circling.
He scored six goals and assisted the same amount for the principality club last season and is still a relatively new member to the French squad having made just 10 appearances so far.
LW: Rayan Cherki
Cherki has got bags of talent and for most other countries, would be a guaranteed starter but he’s got Ousmane Dembele ahead of him.
Deschamps will know Cherki’s quality though and having a player that can change games through invention and technical ability could go a long way in the knockout stages.
ST: Jean-Philippe Mateta
Mateta arrived on France’s international radar during the 2024 Olympics, scoring four goals in the knockout rounds as the hosts reached the final.
He has made a few cameo appearances for Les Bleus at the World Cup, but would start up front for the likes of Germany, the Netherlands and (whisper it) Portugal.
ST: Marcus Thuram
Thuram is not going to displace Kylian Mbappe but the Inter striker is more than a capable deputy.
He scored 13 goals in 29 Serie A matches for Inter this season but has had difficulty finding the net for France, scoring just three goals in his 34 senior appearances.
READ NEXT: 2026 Ballon d’Or Power Rankings: Three of France’s outrageous attack in the top five…
TRY A QUIZ: Can you name France’s XI from the 2018 World Cup final win vs Croatia?
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