Mbappe, Dembele lead France World Cup squad

Alsharq Tribune-M.Essam 

France head coach Didier Deschamps has named his 26-man squad for this summer's World Cup, with Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele leading the charge.

Mbappe, 27, is set to play in his third World Cup. In 2018, he scored in the final against Croatia, helping France reclaim the trophy after a 20-year wait. Four years later in Qatar, he produced a hat-trick in the final, but France lost to Argentina in a penalty shootout.

Joining him in the squad is Ballon d'Or winner Dembele, who scored 35 goals and provided 16 assists in 53 appearances for Paris Saint-Germain in the 2024-25 season, helping the club win the Ligue 1 title, the French Cup, the French Super Cup and its maiden UEFA Champions League crown.

Deschamps will step down after the 2026 World Cup. During his time in charge, in addition to the 2018 World Cup triumph and a runner-up finish in 2022, France won the UEFA Nations League in 2021.

Youngsters Warren Zaire-Emery and Desire Doue made the list, while established names including Eduardo Camavinga and Randal Kolo Muani were left out.

France will open its Group I campaign against Senegal on June 16, followed by matches against Iraq on June 22 and Norway on June 26.