France (National Football)

Arsenal defender Laurent Koscielny will retire from international football with France after the 2018 FIFA World Cup. 

Per Goal's Chris Wheatley, he announced the news himself on Tuesday:

Laurent Koscielny announces that he'll retire from international football after the 2018 World Cup. Logical decision to prolong his career at the top level. pic.twitter.com/SNGgpn1KbZ

— Chris Wheatley (@ChrisWheatley) November 7, 2017

The 32-year-old has been a regular part of the French setup since 2011, but he's been mostly relegated to a bench role of late. Les Bleus have a host of talented young defenders, including Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti, Real Madrid's Raphael Varane, RB Leipzig's Dayot Upamecano and Paris Saint-Germain's Presnel Kimpembe. 

At club level, Koscielny has started the bulk of Arsenal's Premier League matches this season, generally standing out as the team's top centre-back. He's had some issues with injuries, however, missing time with a knock to his Achilles tendon.

By stepping away from the French national team, Koscielny could use the international breaks to rest, rather than battle for minutes against a whole host of younger, hungrier players eager to represent their country. 

As shared by sports writer Mohammed Ali, he's not the only one who will call it quits on his Les Bleus career after the World Cup:

Laurent Koscielny joins Dimitri Payet in announcing he'll retire from international football after the FIFA World Cup

— Mohammed Ali (@mohammedali_93) November 7, 2017

France will enter the tournament in Russia among the favourites to win after their run to the final of UEFA Euro 2016 and narrow defeat against Portugal.

France have made heavier weather than many would have imagined of their World Cup qualification campaign, needing to win their last game in order to be sure of booking their passage to Russia 2018.

Fortunately, that game was against Belarus at home, and even Didier Deschamps' apparent attempt to suck all the joy out of what might just be the most talented squad in world football was not enough to stop Les Bleus from making it. The 2-1 scoreline was not exactly the convincing victory fans would have hoped for, but it does mean the job is done.

So who will Deschamps take to the tournament? There is a lot of football to be played between now and then. Form and fitness will play their part, but this would seem a reasonable guess at France's eventual 23.

             

Goalkeepers

Hugo Lloris

The obvious first-choice, the Tottenham Hotspur stopper is one of the Premier League's best and an asset to his national team. With 93 caps, he is hugely experienced already, and at 30-years old, he has plenty of time left at the top. The squad's captain will retain his place if available.

         

Alphonse Areola

Paris Saint-Germain's 24-year old 'keeper will likely be the man who eventually replaces Lloris. He is first-choice at France's one superclub and does not look out of place in the role. If France's current first pick were not one of the world's best, there would likely be calls for Areola to step up already. As it is, he will have to bide his time, but there is no mistaking the fact that he is the next in line.

       

Steve Mandanda

Back playing football at Marseille, Mandanda is a Deschamps favourite. The old stager will fill the mandatory third 'keeper spot.

Missing out: Benoit Costil

       

Full-backs

Benjamin Mendy

Mendy is currently facing a long lay-off with a serious injury. Assuming he gets back to full fitness before the end of the season, Manchester City's loss could be France's game. Rehab is, of course, a draining process, but he will have fewer miles in his legs than he would have done had he played the whole season. A fresh and firing Mendy would be a dangerous weapon for Deschamps.

       

Djibril Sidibe

Sidibe, Mendy's former Monaco team-mate, has stayed in the principality, but the two will probably reunite in Deschamps' first XI if they are both available.

Sidibe has been an ever-present at right-back for club and country this season and will be in the squad if fit.

       

Christophe Jallet

The solid, dependable Jallet is one of the more surprising regulars in France's squad, but it is clear Deschamps values the 33-year old's presence.

The Nice man will probably not be first-choice, but he will be one of the squad's older heads, adding a bit of experience the generally youthful side can presumably benefit from.

          

Lucas Digne

This last position is a little tricky. With Layvin Kurzawa having been the target of an attempted blackmail over videos in which he was critical of Deschamps, there is a chance the PSG man could miss out. 

If he does, Barcelona's Digne will be the beneficiary. Digne started against both Bulgaria and Belarus in this past international break. After the Bulgaria game, Sport's Albert Gracia wrote, "Digne produced a fine performance and showed that he is a player who can rival Alba for the left-back spot in the Barca team."

Gracia added that Digne, "was praised in France and it was suggested that he could be the man to take the left-back slot for the time being, ahead of Kurzawa, who has not convinced." 

He gets the spot for now.

     

Missing out: Layvin Kurzawa, Jordan Amavi

        

Centre-backs

Laurent Koscielny

The Arsenal man is a stalwart of Deschamps' team and will make the squad, and he'll likely be in the starting XI.

       

Samuel Umtiti

Umtiti has been a regular for Barcelona this season and will make the plane to Russia unless there is a pressing reason he cannot. He's a fine option for Deschamps.

        

Raphael Varane

Just as the Spain national team's centre-back pairing of Gerard Pique and Sergio Ramos have to put El Clasico rivalries aside in the national interest, so too do Umiti and Real Madrid's Varane. Which two of the above three make up the first-choice pairing is an interesting debate, but there is no debate about whether they will make the squad.

       

Presnel Kimpembe

PSG's Kimpembe has been part of Deschamps' regular squad in qualifying, and the 22-year old would be the progressive choice as fourth centre-back, given he has a chance to develop into a national team regular.

Adil Rami

This position is probably up for grabs, with Kurt Zouma and Adil Rami fighting it out. Rami was used in Euro 2016 and was in the squad for the latest round of qualifiers so it seems reasonable to assume he will be the man for now. 

Missing Out: Aymeric Laporte, Kurt Zouma

        

Midfield

Paul Pogba

Huge attention will be on Pogba at the World Cup, because huge attention is always on Pogba. If he returns to Manchester United action from injury in the same form as he was in before he got hurt, Deschamps will simply have to look to build his team around arguably his most famous player.

        

N'Golo Kante

The Chelsea man suffered an injury during this international break, but when Russia rolls around, Deschamps will have the option to play Kante in the role in which Jose Mourinho deploys Nemanja Matic for United. That will allow Pogba free rein to perform.

        

Adrien Rabiot

PSG's most high-profile homegrown talent, Rabiot's exclusion from the game against Bulgaria in Pogba's absence was evidence of just how many fine midfielders France have. Their depth of quality in this area is impressive—and amazingly it might not even be the position that provides Deschamps with his biggest selection headaches.

But Rabiot should make the squad. A player as talented as he would be an automatic starter for most nations at the World Cup, let alone a squad player.

         

Corentin Tolisso

Having made the move to Bayern Munich and established himself in the first team at the German giants, Tolisso has been a regular in recent qualification games.

It is important to note here that there are all kinds of permutations in terms of squad balance, and it is not impossible that any of the following players—especially the first three—will make the squad at the expense of one of the above, or one of the more attacking players listed below.

       

Missing out: Blaise Matuidi, Moussa Sissoko, Tiemoue Bakayoko, Yohan Cabaye, Morgan Schneiderlin

        

Attacking midfielders

Antoine Griezmann

Griezmann is in pretty poor form at the moment—though his goal against Belarus will help his confidence—but he will surely make next summer's squad, barring injury or an absolutely disastrous season.

Deschamps has an absolutely ridiculous level of talent to pick from in the forward positions in his squad, though, so perhaps even the poster-child of their Euro 2016 campaign will be vulnerable. That seems unlikely, though, given both Griezmann's abundance of talent and Deschamps' tendency to stick with his favourites.

       

Dimitri Payet

Payet would, on paper, appear to be the player on this list most vulnerable to being replaced by one of the players on the "missing out" list, but Deschamps has kept immense faith with the Marseille man.

And, in truth, he does offer something different to many of the options here, with his ability to pick a pass and control the attacking tempo of a move, combined with his set-piece delivery, providing a more traditional No. 10 style presence in among so many fast, technically gifted forwards.

       

Thomas Lemar

Monaco's Lemar seems to have the nod at the moment, and there is little reason that should change in the months ahead. He offers a degree of natural width that could be helpful in stretching defences, and is, of course, a high-quality player.

        

Ousmane Dembele

With the start to his Barcelona career interrupted by injury, Dembele is nonetheless set to be back well before the World Cup.

His move to Barca should probably come with a recategorisation as an out-and-out forward, as he will play as part of their 4-3-3 rather than as part of three behind a striker as was the case at Borussia Dortmund. Either way, his ability and tactical flexibility make him a strong contender for a place in the squad.

           

Missing out: Kingsley Coman, Anthony Martial, Nabil Fekir, Florian Thauvin

        

Forwards

Kylian Mbappe

PSG's high-profile loanee from Monaco has continued his remarkable rise. One of the best young talents anywhere in world football, Mbappe will surely be part of his manager's plans.

        

Olivier Giroud

It's Deschamps and France. Giroud is going to the World Cup. While it might seem a slightly odd choice to leave such talented forward players behind for the sake of Giroud's presence, he does offer something unique and has been bordering on talismanic for Les Bleus.

       

Alexandre Lacazette

The other Arsenal frontman will likely be in the picture, too—preferred to Giroud against Bulgaria, that decision was reversed against Belarus. It will be interesting to see how both players' form over the rest of the season influences Deschamps' thinking in terms of his first XI.

         

Missing out: Kevin Gameiro, Andre-Pierre Gignac

France secured automatic qualification to the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Tuesday after they beat Belarus 2-1 at the Stade de France in Paris.

First-half goals from Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud ensured top spot in Group A, while Anton Saroka clawed one back for Belarus.

The French lacked the same urgency in the second half, with the Netherlands' 2-0 victory over Sweden rendering their result largely inconsequential.

France applied pressure on the visitors from the outset, but it was not until the 27th minute that they broke the deadlock as they failed to capitalise on a number of chances.

A series of headers from Giroud and Raphael Varane went begging, with the former's best attempt rattling the crossbar, while the latter directed an effort straight at Sergei Chernik.

Griezmann eventually settled the nerves when he rifled home a low finish after being slipped in by Blaise Matuidi.

His strike partner doubled the tally just six minutes later, with Griezmann turning provider. The Atletico Madrid man latched on to a poor pass out from the back and fed Giroud, who nipped between Belarus' defenders to slide home, albeit with some good fortune after he almost gave the ball away after a heavy initial touch.

French football writers Robin Bairner and Matt Spiro praised the Arsenal striker:

#Giroud works so well in France's system - far better than club-mate #Lacazette, despite latter being widely considered the superior player.

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) October 10, 2017

Giroud keeps getting written off, dropped, slated, dropped again... But he keeps coming back and he keeps scoring. Story of his career

— Matt Spiro (@mattspiro) October 10, 2017

Saroka pulled one back for the visitors a minute before the break when he converted Yuri Kovalev's cross.

Belarus began the second half promisingly, too, without overly troubling their hosts as Igor Stasevich, Sergei Politsevich and Nikita Korzun all fired off target.

Saroka should have had a brace when he met Aleksandr Karnitski's ball, but he failed to hit the target from close range. Kieran Canning of the Agence France-Presse has not been particularly impressed by France during qualifying:

Deschamps has really done a sterling job of making France as bad as possible with the resources available in this campaign

— Kieran Canning (@KieranCanning) October 10, 2017

The introduction of Kylian Mbappe livened up Les Bleus as the 18-year-old immediately placed himself at the heart of their attacking play, though he was unable to add to France's tally.

A largely subpar second-half showing from France was unsurprising given results elsewhere, but they haven't been especially convincing during the qualification process—drawing 0-0 with Luxembourg was a low point, while a team of their calibre should have racked up much more than 18 goals.

Didier Deschamps' side will be competing in Russia next summer, though with the players available to him there's plenty of room for improvement in the meantime.

France are guaranteed at least a play-off berth in UEFA Group A qualification for the 2018 FIFA World Cup but will be attempting to secure top place as they host Belarus in Paris on Tuesday.

The French currently lead the way on 20 points, but Sweden sit just one point behind as they travel to the Netherlands, threatening automatic qualification. 

Les Bleus will be without midfield maestro Paul Pogba, as the Manchester United player continues his recovery from injury.

Belarus have collected just five points from their nine qualification games and should be simple pickings for the home side.

                                  

Date: Tuesday, Oct. 10

Time: 7:45 p.m. (BST)/2:35 p.m. (ET)

TV: Sky Sports Red Button (UK), Fox Sports 2 USA (U.S.)

Stream: Sky Go, Fox Sports Go, Fox Soccer Match Pass, fubo.tv

              

Preview

France would have hoped to secure their place at Russia 2018 already, but they face a straightforward task when they welcome a poor Belarus side to the Stade de France.

The French edged out Bulgaria 1-0 in their previous game, and a further three points will complete the job for Tuesday's hosts.

Per Mike McGrath and Phil Thomas, Pogba could be out for a further eight weeks, motivating France to guarantee qualification now, rather than head to a play-off in November.

Pogba's absence should not be an issue against Belarus, and the visitors will surely arrive with little hope of collecting anything from the contest.

The fifth-placed team have won only one game in qualification, and the depth of their squad will not worry France coach Didier Deschamps.

According to Guy Atkinson of Goal, Deschamps became the country's most successful national coach as he broke the record of 41 wins after his team defeated Bulgaria. However, the landmark will mean little if the French fail against Belarus.

The home side suffered a blow as Chelsea enforcer N'Golo Kante was ruled out of the vital clash after suffering an injury against the Bulgarians.

Per Metro, Deschamps told reporters the midfielder had sustained a thigh injury.

The Belarusians recently were hammered 4-0 by Sweden, and France will believe the scoreline in Paris could mirror the result.

Antoine Griezmann, Kylian Mbappe and Alexandre Lacazette should provide all the firepower France need to win, and it could be a very long and painful night for the visiting party.

France took another step toward the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Saturday, beating Bulgaria 1-0 in Sofia.

Les Bleus took an early lead through Blaise Matuidi and controlled the pace the rest of the way, as the match turned into a drab affair. With the win, France maintain their one-point lead over Sweden for first place in Group A.

Here's a look at the two teams:

La composition de nos Bleus pour affronter la Bulgarie ! #BULFRA #FiersdetreBleus pic.twitter.com/WmNhv4I2mS

— Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) October 7, 2017

https://twitter.com/shumansko/status/916719550351249408

It took Les Bleus just over two minutes to take the lead, as a lovely attack via Antoine Griezmann ended up with Matuidi blasting home from a tight angle.

Fox Soccer shared the highlight of the goal:

What a start for France! Blaise Matuidi opens the scoring with just 2 and a half minutes played. #WCQ https://t.co/4Qf7PI0oaw

— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) October 7, 2017

The early advantage was exactly what Les Bleus needed, and given the tricky playing conditions, Bulgaria had their work cut out for them. Neither team was able to create many chances, although Kylian Mbappe kept goalkeeper Plamen Iliev busy with an angled shot.

Corentin Tolisso also tried his luck, firing wide, and Griezmann suffered a similar fate after a defender slipped to give him the chance.

As highlighted by B/R Football, conditions were tough:

Proper footballing conditions in Bulgaria. ☔ pic.twitter.com/AC80p79zcW

— B/R Football (@brfootball) October 7, 2017

Defender Vasil Bozhikov made a stunning tackle to stop Alexandre Lacazette from doubling the advantage, before N'Golo Kante was forced to leave the pitch with what appeared to be a hamstring issue.

Hugo Lloris blundered and nearly gifted the hosts the equaliser, but he redeemed himself with a good save on Spas Delev. The final chance of the half fell to Mbappe, who rushed his effort and fired over.

Les Bleus nearly gave the hosts another gift straight from kick-off, as Georgi Kostadinov took advantage of another slip before cutting inside and firing wide. Bulgaria started the second half well, and a mad scramble in the box caused some panic for France.

French Football Weekly were not impressed:

Sluggish start to the 2nd half from France. Too many errors. Tolisso on the receiving end of some rough tackles but looks up for the fight.

— French Football Weekly Podcast (@FrenchFtWeekly) October 7, 2017

Bulgaria did well to maintain possession, but they struggled to create much. Their players were a bit too aggressive and lacked patience, resulting in a number of cautions and no threats to Lloris' goal.

France were fairly comfortable in holding onto their lead for the last 20 minutes and will go into Tuesday's home game against Belarus knowing a win will secure top spot in the Group A.

France could qualify from Europe's Group A for the 2018 FIFA World Cup on Saturday if things go their way, but they'll have to beat Bulgaria in Sofia and hope for an upset in one of the other matches.

Les Bleus currently lead Sweden by one point and the Netherlands by four―if the Swedes suffer an unlikely loss at home against Luxembourg, France can qualify with a win.

The more likely scenario sees Les Bleus clinch their spot on the final matchday against Belarus, when the Swedes play the Netherlands. Either way, beating Bulgaria is crucial to the team qualifying.

      

Date: Saturday, October 7

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

Venue: Vasil Levski National Stadium, Sofia

Live Stream: Sky Go (UK), Fox Soccer Match Pass (U.S.)

        

Preview

As shared by sports writer Mohammed Ali, France will make the trip to Bulgaria without Manchester United's Anthony Martial, highlighting their incredible depth:

France squad in crucial WCQ away to Bulgaria, home to Belarus

- no Martial
- Payet returns, Sissoko in
- Thauvin, Coman keep spot. pic.twitter.com/jLjyhgunmf

— Mohammed Ali (@mohammedali_93) September 28, 2017

Ousmane Dembele of Barcelona also isn't in the squad due to injury, but with the likes of Antoine Griezmann from Atletico Madrid, Arsenal's Alexandre Lacazette and Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe, there's plenty of firepower for Les Bleus.

Bulgaria have already conceded 17 goals in qualifying, tied with Luxembourg for the most in Group A. The team has an outside chance at qualifying and will visit football minnows Luxembourg on the final matchday, but they'll need a lot of things to go their way just to make the play-offs.

Group A has been tight so far, and Les Bleus' shock draw against Luxembourg on the previous matchday has set up an exciting finale. Sweden have bounced back after their unexpected loss in Bulgaria, and the Netherlands are still very much alive, despite their horrendous form.

The Dutch and Swedes' meeting on the final matchday is a major advantage for France moving forward―at least one of the two will drop points. But for now, Les Bleus have to focus on themselves and not look past the initial hurdle in Sofia.

Bulgaria beat Sweden at home in a wild affair and also kept the three points in Sofia against the Netherlands. Luxembourg came close to earning a draw on the opening matchday, but all in all, the Bulgarians have been good at home.

Georgi Kostadinov has been the main danger man with three goals in this qualifying cycle, and Ivelin Popov is the most experienced forward in the squad. Keeping a close eye on those two will be key, especially now that Aleksandar Tonev has dropped out of the selection with injury concerns.

         

Prediction: Bulgaria's solid home form continues, and Group A goes down to the final matchday. Bulgaria 1-1 France

France endured a peculiar international break. If the average fan had heard before the recent round of fixtures that Les Bleus had played the Netherlands and Luxembourg and won one game 4-0 and drawn the other 0-0, they would probably have assumed the results came in the opposite order to which they arrived.

In reality, a Paul Pogba masterclass helped France blast their way past the struggling Dutch, but Luxembourg provided surprisingly stubborn opposition.

Luxembourg have avoided defeat against France for the first time since 1914.

The 103-year wait for a point comes to an end. 💪 pic.twitter.com/2fqCMyC8cg

— Squawka (@Squawka) September 3, 2017

France remain top of their FIFA World Cup qualification group, one point ahead of Sweden and four points ahead of the Netherlands. Only one team qualifies automatically, with the eight second-placed teams who accrue the most points heading into a seeded playoff. France would likely be favourites against whomever they faced in those playoffs, but in a group they should win comfortably, it would be an embarrassing turn of events to end up finishing second.

While the draw against Luxembourg is the standout result from the group, France have made a difficult fist of a couple of previous qualifiers, drawing 0-0 with Belarus away from home and losing to Sweden in Stockholm.

In October, they travel to Bulgaria and then host Belarus. They should win both of those games and ensure automatic qualification, but they should have beaten Luxembourg too.

🇫🇷 France 0-0 Luxembourg 🇱🇺

Mind-boggling numbers from @sportingintel. 💰 pic.twitter.com/PeHn2tmvya

— B/R Football (@brfootball) September 3, 2017

Back in March we looked at what the France team might look at at the next World Cup. Football being the ever changing landscape that it is, the time seemed right to take another look, revising as appropriate.

There is still a long way to go between now and when Didier Deschamps has to pick his squad for the World Cup, so a lot can change—including the manager, though the French Football Federation is generally quite patient. Nine months or so out from decision time, this is a decent approximation of the lay of the land.

        

Goalkeepers

Hugo Lloris retains the No. 1 spot for France, although he has had a bit of a shaky start to the season for Tottenham Hotspur. But unless his form substantially dips—and there is no reason to expect it will—Les Bleus will be happy to have a stopper of Lloris' ability to call upon as No. 1 choice.

In March, we had Alphonse Areola, 24, of Paris Saint-Germain and Benoit Costil, 30, of Girondins de Bordeaux backing him up. Since then, though, perennial squad member Steve Mandanda has ended his unhappy spell in the Premier League, and is back with Olympique de Marseille. That means he is also back playing regular first-team football and will likely go to the World Cup, replacing Costil in the role of experienced option.

Areola will benefit from the experience given he is probably going to be Lloris' replacement as No. 1 choice in a few years' time.

      

Full-Backs

No real change here from March. Lucas Digne was in the squad for this latest round of internationals, but when Manchester City's Benjamin Mendy is fully fit, he will likely replace the Barcelona man.

Assuming Deschamps picks two players for each position, those are likely to be Djibril Sidibe—who survived AS Monaco's summer clear-out, much to the delight of Les Monegasques—Layvin Kurzawa of PSG, the experienced Christophe Jallet of OGC Nice—a Deschamps favourite—and Mendy.

       

Centre-Backs

Here things have definitely moved on from March. Aymeric Laporte and Adil Rami were suggested as fourth-choice centre-back alternatives, but Kurt Zouma and Presnel Kimpembe are ahead of them in the pecking order. Zouma should benefit from moving away from Chelsea on a season-long loan to Stoke City, with whom he will likely be a first-choice option. Kimpembe, 22, has been starting games for PSG this season, and both he and Zouma were on the bench against the Netherlands.

Real Madrid's Raphael Varane missed the latest round of games through injury, with Barcelona's Samuel Umtiti partnering Arsenal's Laurent Koscielny. Two of those three will be the first-choice centre-back pairing in Russia, assuming they are fit.

      

Midfielders

Pogba is obviously the star turn here, with Chelsea's N'Golo Kante set to perform the function former team-mate Nemanja Matic is doing at club level, providing a platform upon which Pogba can shine.

France fans will be hoping there is no repeat of Euro 2016, when Deschamps bafflingly hamstrung Pogba in the final in order to allow Moussa Sissoko a free role.

https://twitter.com/DanielHarris/status/904433737190006786

Away from the first-choice pairing—one of the world's best—there is pretty decent squad depth, as evidenced by the fact there will likely be no place for Morgan Schneiderlin or Yohan Cabaye and, in more high-profile absences, one of Tiemoue Bakayoko or Corentin Tolisso.

In March, we speculated that Tolisso would make the squad as he was the player more likely to get a big move in summer 2017, but they both got big moves, with Bakayoko going to Chelsea and Tolisso heading to Bayern Munich. Perhaps they could both go, either by leaving out a more attacking player or by overlooking France stalwart Blaise Matuidi.

Matuidi moved from PSG to Juventus in the summer, though, so he has hardly fallen out of the European spotlight. Adrien Rabiot remains crucial to PSG and the national team and will be a vital replacement should anything happen to Pogba. This is one of several spots in the side where Deschamps is spoiled for choice.

       

Attacking Midfielders

And speaking of spoiled for choice.

"Attacking midfielders" here means "forwards who are not centre-forwards," essentially those who will make up the three should Deschamps play a 4-2-3-1.

The France manager has so much choice. In this squad makeup, he is selecting from an incredibly talented bunch, which includes the following list:

• Antoine Griezmann
• Dimitri Payet
• Thomas Lemar
• Ousmane Dembele
• Kingsley Coman
• Anthonyn Martial
• Nabil Fekir
• Florian Thauvin

Griezmann is obviously the pick of the bunch. Payet has been a regular for Deschamps and offers a different kind of threat to the rest, based around guile and use of the ball. In March, we suggested Lemar and Dembele would be the other two chosen, and while Deschamps has regularly selected Thauvin and Coman started against the Netherlands, it is hard to imagine him leaving any of those four out.

Lemar scored twice against Netherlands, and Dembele has just moved to Barcelona, which will give him experience at an even higher level.

Players like Coman and Martial could make themselves imperative selections if they have the right kind of seasons, but whatever happens, some players that would walk into other nations' first XIs will spend summer 2018 missing out on the World Cup because they are French.

          

Centre-Forwards

Olivier Giroud will be an automatic selection. Giroud is a player whose international form—or at least his importance to his country—seems to exceed his importance to his club. That's to the extent the player who will often keep him out of the first XI at Arsenal may well start on the bench behind him for France.

In March, we suggested Kevin Gameiro might go ahead of Alexandre Lacazette, who remained mostly ignored by Deschamps, but that seems to have changed. Lacazette came off the bench against both the Netherlands and Luxembourg. He likely has the backup role to Giroud nailed down, as odd as it is that they have their roles reversed for club and country.

And Kylian Mbappe's high-profile loan move to PSG means he will have a chance to play alongside Neymar and develop at an even higher level. While his move might leave a sour taste in the mouths of fans of other Ligue 1 clubs, the national team should benefit.

       

Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Alphonse Areola, Steve Mandanda.

Full-Backs: Djibril Sidibe, Christophe Jallet, Benjamin Mendy, Layvin Kurzawa.

Centre-Backs: Raphael Varane, Laurent Koscielny, Samuel Umtiti, Presnel Kimpembe, Kurt Zouma.

Midfielders: Paul Pogba, N'Golo Kante, Adrien Rabiot, Corentin Tolisso.

Attacking Midfielders: Antoine Griezmann, Dimitri Payet, Ousmane Dembele, Thomas Lemar.

Forwards: Olivier Giroud, Alexandre Lacazette, Kylian Mbappe.

           

With thanks to Tom Coast of Sport Witness for his invaluable input.

France were held to an embarrassing 0-0 draw with bottom side Luxembourg in FIFA World Cup 2018 qualifying at the Stadium Municipal in Toulouse on Sunday.

The draw puts France back on top of Group A, following Sweden's 4-0 win over Belarus earlier, but it means they are just one point clear with two games left to play.

France coach Didier Deschamps made just one change to the side that beat Netherlands 4-0 on Thursday, bringing in Kylian Mbappe for Kingsley Coman:

Voici les 11 joueurs qui débuteront ce #FRALUX 👊
RDV à 20h45 sur @TF1 ! pic.twitter.com/iPopq8wuTD

— Equipe de France ⭐⭐ (@equipedefrance) September 3, 2017

Despite naming an attacking lineup, with Olivier Giroud, Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar and Mbappe all starting, France failed to break the deadlock in the first half despite dominating proceedings.

The first real chance for the hosts fell to Griezmann, after great work by Mbappe, but he could not keep his shot down and fired well over the crossbar.

The visitors continued to press, however, with Mbappe at the heart of their best moves and doing enough to impress Goal’s Robin Bairner:

France have now created about 5 clear openings in as many minutes. Mbappe the star so far. Luxembourg hanging on.

— Robin Bairner (@RBairner) September 3, 2017

The Paris Saint-Germain star was looking particularly impressive in possession, showcasing his dribbling ability out on the right, as noted by Squawka:

It's fair to say Kylian Mbappe is wreaking havoc against Luxembourg so far. pic.twitter.com/7mHo9KOhg6

— Squawka Live (@Squawka_Live) September 3, 2017

France were not afraid to take aim at the Luxembourg goal, and their first-half dominance was neatly illustrated by Opta:

21 - France have already attempted 21 shots v Luxemburg, their best tally in a first-half since October 2009 v Faroe Islands (21). Lock. pic.twitter.com/7poZpbjiB8

— OptaJean (@OptaJean) September 3, 2017

The second half continued in much the same fashion, with France still unable to find a way past a stubborn visiting side, which left football writer Daniel Harris critical of Deschamps:

https://twitter.com/DanielHarris/status/904433737190006786

The France coach then opted to change things on the hour mark, taking off Mbappe and Giroud and bringing on Kingsley Coman and Alexandre Lacazette.

The hosts did go close immediately afterward, with Djibril Sidibe getting on the end of Lemar's cross and heading goalward, but goalkeeper Jonathan Joubert managed to push it around the post.

Substitute Lacazette then almost managed to grab a goal but saw his effort blocked on the line with Luxembourg's defending coming in for praise from Tom Coast at Sport Witness:

The shift this Luxembourg side are putting in defensively is astounding. There's always a foot/head/body in the way.

— Thomas Coast (@thcoast) September 3, 2017

France then went even closer, with Paul Pogba lashing a shot against the crossbar before the visitors stunned the home crowd by hitting the post through Gerson Rodrigues, much to the delight of football writer Philippe Auclair:

https://twitter.com/PhilippeAuclair/status/904439044586778624

Deschamps' men continued to press in the closing stage but were simply unable to find a way past an organised, disciplined and determined visiting team.

Although the draw is unlikely to damage France's World Cup qualification hopes, it will be seen as a disappointment that a team with so much attacking talent could not find a way past a side ranked 136th in the world, according to FIFA, at home.

France are likely to strengthen their grip on top spot in Group A when they host Luxembourg in a qualifier for the 2018 FIFA World Cup in Russia at the Municipal Stadium in Toulouse on Sunday.

Les Bleus were big winners last time out, beating the Netherlands 4-0 on Thursday. Thomas Lemar was one of the stars of the show, despite being embroiled in intense transfer speculation during deadline day of the English summer window.

Before a preview, here are the schedule and live-streaming details:

    

Date: Sunday, September 3

Time: 7:45 p.m. BST/2:45 p.m. ET

TV Info: Sky Sports Football, Fox Soccer Plus

Live Stream: Sky Go, fuboTV, Fox Sports Go

France were irresistible against the Netherlands, thanks largely to their young stars. Among them, Lemar scored twice, even though he was at the centre of a transfer saga involving the Premier League.

Arsenal had bid £92 million for the 21-year-old winger, per Sami Mokbel of MailOnline. Gunners manager Arsene Wenger told beIN Sports (h/t Goal's Oli Platt) how Lemar opted to stay with Ligue 1 champions AS Monaco.

Being the target of a Premier League club on the same day he was representing his country proved no distraction for Lemar. Instead, he scored twice and ran the show for France.

Lemar's now-former Monaco team-mate Kylian Mbappe also scored, on the same day he completed an expensive loan switch to Paris Saint-Germain. Still just 18, Mbappe may have played his way into a start for Les Bleus after beginning on the bench against the Netherlands.

It will be interesting to see how many changes France manager Didier Deschamps makes. He could even offer a start to Arsenal striker Alexandre Lacazette.

Deschamps can be confident, especially after his team won the first meeting 3-1 in Luxembourg back in March. Luxembourg manager Luc Holtz will have to hope his side isn't overrun early, otherwise France could run riot and create a huge margin of victory.

Prediction: France 5-0 Luxembourg

France moved atop Group A in World Cup qualifying play on Thursday evening with a dominating 4-0 win over the Netherlands.

Thomas Lemar earned a brace in just his second international start, while Antoine Griezmann added a goal and an assist for France and Kylian Mbappe came off the bench to add a goal of his own as France utterly dismantled a Dutch team playing with just 10 men for the majority of the second half.

Bulgaria's 3-2 victory over Sweden not only left France alone at the top of Group A on 16 points, it moved Bulgaria into third place in the group on 12 points, while the Dutch slid down to fourth on 10.

For as brilliant as France were in this contest, the Dutch were just as poor, as football announcers Arlo White of NBC Sports and Ian Darke of ESPN noted: 

Mbappe makes it 4. France brilliant coming forward. Netherlands are imposters in that orange shirt. 🇫🇷4-0🇳🇱

— Arlo White (@arlowhite) August 31, 2017

Netherlands missed Euros. Could miss World Cup too. Being torn to shreds and 0-4 down v France.

— Ian Darke (@IanDarke) August 31, 2017

It didn't take France long to take the lead. After a Dutch turnover in their own half, Griezmann charged forward before playing a lovely one-two with Olivier Giroud at the edge of the box. That left the Atletico superstar alone in the box, and he promptly nutmegged goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen for the game's first goal.

Kevin Strootman's sending off on a second yellow card in the 61st minute further hampered the Dutch chances. They had their opportunities in the second half, however, including a free header in the box for Arjen Robben in the 69th minute.

But it was France who would secure the game's next goal.

Lemar ended things in the 73rd minute, smashing a pristine half-volley that found the inside of the net past a helpless Cillessen. It was a stroke of pure class from the young Monaco star, who scored his first international goal in the process.

The floodgates only opened from there.

In the 88th minute, France pounced on the counter, with Griezmann leading a charge with Lemar and Alexandre Lacazette and only Cillessen between them and the goal. Griezmann had only to slide a cross through the box and the only question was whether Lemar or Lacazette would tap home. Lemar beat Lacazette to it, earning his brace.

As joyous as the day was for French supporters, Lemar's huge performance surely was painful for Arsenal supporters, as the club's late push to acquire the Monaco starlet reportedly fell through. 

Arsene Wenger when he sees Thomas Lemar’s 🔥 goal for France tonight... pic.twitter.com/deHQdJSVSS

— B/R Football (@brfootball) August 31, 2017

Mbappe made it four in added-on time, charging down the pitch before finding Djibril Sidibe, who pulled it back for Mbappe. The new PSG man made the most of his opportunity, capping off an effervescent performance from France.

It was an impressive showing from France's young talent and the team in general. The French are brimming with talent, and there should be little doubt that they'll be one of the favorites at the 2018 World Cup. The Dutch, meanwhile, remain in danger of missing the World Cup entirely, which would be a bitter disappointment for a country with such a rich footballing tradition.

There is still the matter of finishing qualifying, of course. Up next for France is a matchup against Luxembourg on Sept. 3, while the Dutch face Bulgaria that same day.