Fragile defence and Saliba absent: France's vulnerabilities exposed ahead of 2026 World Cup

Beaten 1-2 by Ivory Coast in a friendly last Thursday, France delivered an alarming defensive performance less than a week before the 2026 World Cup gets underway. The absence of William Saliba, normally an undisputed starter, weighed heavily.

Commentator Grégory Schneider, also a journalist at Libération, did not mince words after the defeat. « They got turned around, however you want to explain it, » he declared, before adding that Didier Deschamps himself « sensed the weakness coming » by choosing to call up Maxence Lacroix in central defence rather than Eduardo Camavinga. A choice that, according to him, betrays real doubt on the manager’s part about his own players.

Beyond Saliba’s absence, several players disappointed individually. Ibrahima Konaté, struggling this season with Liverpool, failed to reassure. On the flanks, Jules Koundé and Lucas Digne went unnoticed. When the Ivorians decided to accelerate, the French centre-back pairing cracked.

Schneider concluded his analysis bluntly: « There is work to do. As we played Thursday, we won’t be world champions. There is work to do, there is time left. But today… » A harsh verdict, but time is now running short.

France will have one last chance to put things right on Monday against Northern Ireland, before heading to their base camp near Boston. This final warm-up match will be Deschamps’ last window to adjust his defensive setup before the tournament truly begins.