Absent from the France team since November 2024, N’Golo Kanté returns for the last international break of the year.
Didier Deschamps revealed his list of 24 for the last international break of the year and the qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. The France team will face Ukraine and Azerbaijan, and the Blues coach has decided to recall N’Golo Kanté (64 caps), absent from the team since November 2024.
This call-up comes to compensate for the last minute absence of Aurélien Tchouaméni, injured in the left thigh with Real Madrid. Kanté, who had not been used since the draw against Israel (0-0) on November 14, thus returned to the selection unexpectedly.
Present at a press conference on Thursday, Deschamps justified this choice. “I talk with N’Golo, and through the matches that I see him play every 3-4 days, he has found his best level,” “DD” first explained. “ Beyond their championship, they have the Asian Champions League. So he is still potentially selectable, the proof since he is today”added the coach.
“He’s always in my head”
Since the start of the season, Kanté has established himself as an indisputable starter with Al-Ittihad, playing 12 of 14 matches in all competitions, and has only been replaced twice. According to Deschamps, in the French team: “It must maintain itself, it has a status, an experience. When I call him, it’s to have a role, not just to be part of the team. »
The coach added: “In the peak of what awaits us through these matches which can be decisive in securing our place in the United States, he is always in my head and in my thoughts. » Kanté will meet Clairefontaine on Monday to prepare for this crucial double meeting.
