France's Fresh Strike Partner for Mbappe Surfaces in World Cup Qualifiers
10 October 2025
France's lineup and Mbappe's new partner
France head coach Didier Deschamps has settled on the starting XI for Friday's World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan, aiming to secure a place at the 2026 tournament to be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Les Bleus sit atop the European group with six points, followed by Iceland on three, while Ukraine and Azerbaijan are tied on one point each.
The match is set to take place at Parc des Princes, Paris, and a victory here could seal qualification, especially with two matches remaining against Azerbaijan and Iceland later in October.
According to Lequipe, Malo Gusto of Chelsea is earmarked to start at right-back over Jules Koundé of Barcelona.
Deschamps is also tipped to pair Mbappe with a fresh attacking partner: Hugo Ekitike of Liverpool, who has been in strong form since arriving from Eintracht Frankfurt in the summer window.
Preview notes from Lequipe suggest Mbappe’s captaincy remains intact after a brief absence from training at the start of the camp, but he is fully fit to start. He recently recovered from an ankle issue sustained while scoring in Real Madrid’s Liga win over Villarreal.
Lequipe also hints that Khéphren Thuram could feature in midfield, with Kingsley Coman possibly on the wing for Al-Nassr, while Ibrahima Konaté of Liverpool might start on the bench.
The Expected France XI against Azerbaijan
France is tipped to line up as follows: Mike Maignan in goal; a back four of Malo Gusto, Theo Hernandez, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba; midfield of Khéphren Thuram and Adrien Rabiot; and an attacking quartet of Kingsley Coman, Michael Olise, Hugo Ekitike, and Kylian Mbappe.
Deschamps, in charge since 2012, has steered France to the 2018 World Cup title and Euro 2021 glory, while also collecting silver at Euro 2016 and World Cup 2022, with a 2025 Nations League bronze to boot.
He has signaled that his France tenure could end after the 2026 World Cup, potentially paving the way for Zinedine Zidane to take the helm with the Deyouks.
Mbappe's journey
Mbappe began his career with a local club in the Bondy region before moving to Monaco’s academy, breaking into the first team in 2017 and helping them win the Ligue 1 title under Leonardo Jardim.
His breakout season featured 16 goals in 41 games, prompting PSG to pay a then world‑record 180 million euros for his services, making him the most expensive French player ever.
Over seven years at the Parc des Princes, Mbappe collected nearly every domestic trophy and tallied 175 goals in 205 appearances before moving to Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024, where he has since added the UEFA Super Cup to his collection.
With France, Mbappe has 52 goals in 92 internationals and helped lift the 2018 World Cup and Euro 2021 trophies, while also collecting silver at Euro 2016 and World Cup 2022, plus a 2025 Nations League bronze.
Since early 2023, Mbappe has served as captain, benefiting from the retirements of Hugo Lloris and Raphaël Varane, and outlasting veteran stars such as Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud while Paul Pogba has faded from the spotlight after a doping ban.
