Deschamps Speaks Up: When Barca’s High Line Meets Kondé’s Slip, France’s World Cup Quest Gets a New Spin

Deschamps Responds to Barca-Driven Controversy and Kondé’s Misstep

Barcelona’s season has stirred a tactical debate within the French national team, according to Didier Deschamps, France’s long‑time coach. He pointed to Jules Koundé’s lapse that helped Iceland score in the recent World Cup qualifier, arguing the critique goes beyond a single moment.

In a press conference, Deschamps said: "It’s about Barcelona’s playing style; they rely on a very high defensive line, regardless of the result or timing of the game."

He noted that Koundé was pushed too far forward and mispositioned, and that Dayot Upamecano and Eduardo Camavinga also erred in positioning, contributing to Iceland’s fast reply.

Deschamps added that he isn’t worried about Koundé’s form given his heavy workload, stressing that he remains ready alongside teammates who have faced back‑to‑back matches in recent seasons.

He warned that player performances are also tethered to their clubs’ approaches, suggesting that Koundé isn’t as dazzling this season as in the previous one and that Barcelona’s level has dipped somewhat this year.

“Koundé bears responsibility for the second goal against Iceland, but not alone; two other players joined him in the error,” he clarified, emphasizing the collective nature of such mistakes.

Deschamps explained that Koundé has endured a difficult pre‑season schedule, playing every 3–4 days with high motivation and little rest, yet he still trusts his ability and notes the extra effort players put into training and matches.

France’s draw with Iceland stalled their official World Cup 2026 qualification, a setback that the coach described as a temporary hurdle rather than a fatal blow to the campaign.

Turning to Ousmane Dembélé, the PSG star and Ballon d’Or‑labeled talent (by some descriptors in the discussion), Deschamps said he was "very sad" about the injury keeping him sidelined and causing a loss for both France and Paris Saint‑Germain. He wished for a swift recovery, recalling how Dembélé rode out injuries last season but is now fighting a new sequence of setbacks.

Deschamps refused to lecture PSG about protecting Dembélé, saying, "I don’t teach, and what happens at Paris Saint‑Germain is their business; I don’t have all the information, and the decision lies with them, as it does with us." He also highlighted that club and national team interests often diverge, but he’s not here to alter medical protocols or clubs’ prerogatives.

He stressed that discussions about players’ health have always occurred, especially around tests and diagnoses, and that clubs’ interests can differ from those of national teams. He noted that he isn’t in Luis Enrique’s shoes, acknowledging that every player is prone to injury and that examples exist—Hakimi and Mendes were fit and then injured against Bayern Munich, underscoring the unpredictable nature of football.

Squad Updates: Dembélé’s Injury, Ukraine, and the Surprising Kanté Return

The public dispute last month between Paris Saint‑Germain and the French federation over Dembélé’s injury sparked headlines, with PSG officials accusing the Dey of exacerbating the issue by hamstring problems that kept him out for more than six weeks.

Dembélé, 28, will miss the upcoming camp due to a fresh leg‑muscle injury sustained in the loss to Bayern Munich (1‑2) at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League, a match held just days ago in mid‑November on the European circuit.

France will host Ukraine before traveling away to Azerbaijan on November 13 and 16, in the final phase of the European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico. The defending champions—France, twice World Cup winners (1998, 2018)—must beat Ukraine to seal a place in the 2026 finals.

The squad announcement brought a notable surprise: N’Golo Kanté, the midfield engine of Al‑Ittihad, returns for the first time since November 2024. Also back are Randall Kolo Muani of Tottenham and Ryan Cherki of Manchester City after extended absences due to injury or fitness concerns.

And Deschamps named 24 players for the Ukraine and Azerbaijan games, listed below:

Goalkeepers: Lucas Chouvalier (Paris Saint‑Germain), Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Brice Samba (Stade Rennais).

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernández (Paris Saint‑Germain), Theo Hernández (Al‑Hilal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich).

Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid), N’Golo Kanté (Al‑Ittihad), Manu Kone (Roma), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Warren Zaire‑Emery (Paris Saint‑Germain).

Forwards: Magnus Akliouch (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint‑Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool), Randall Kolo Muani (Tottenham), Jean‑Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Christopher Nkunku (Milan).

Humor note to close: If strategy meetings were stand‑up, Deschamps would be the headliner and the players would be the pauses between punchlines. And if the football gods had a sense of humor, they’d schedule a press conference right after the game to see who still believes in the “process.”

Final joke: In football, as in comedy, timing is everything—except when your defense keeps showing up late to the party. Then you start to wonder if your lineup is a calendar, full of dates but missing a plan.