Doué establishes himself as undisputed starter for France ahead of Italy clash

Désiré Doué has established himself as an essential starter for France ahead of the match against Italy, outshining Bradley Barcola thanks to a series of decisive performances with PSG and the national team.

Just a few months ago, under Didier Deschamps and during the 2026 World Cup, the former Rennes player was competing with Barcola for fourth place in attack, behind Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise. The balance of power has shifted. Doué is now a starter at PSG — Barcola’s departure to Liverpool and Kvaratskhelia’s serious injury accelerated matters — and his status with the Bleus has followed the same trajectory.

During the first gathering of the Zinédine Zidane era, Doué made a strong impression: decisive entry against Belgium (4-1), capped by a goal and two assists. At club level, he followed up with a goal and an assist against Manchester City, then the same statistics against FC Barcelona. These repeated high-level performances have definitively settled the debate.

The absence of Ousmane Dembélé for the clash against Italy opens up an additional spot in Zidane’s starting eleven, and Doué appears to be the primary beneficiary. On the left of a trio completed by Mbappé and Olise, he now represents the natural solution for the manager.

Barcola, for his part, has struggled to make an impact since arriving at Liverpool. An assist at Crystal Palace (0-3) is not enough to offset a mixed start to the season, which currently removes any ability to challenge the hierarchy established by his former PSG teammate.

Italy-France represents for Doué another opportunity to confirm that he is no longer a challenger but truly a cornerstone of the national team.