Pavard excluded from World Cup squad, to watch France from stands against Northern Ireland

Benjamin Pavard will be in the stands at Stade Pierre-Mauroy in Villeneuve-d’Ascq on Monday evening, but not on the team sheet: the Inter Milan defender is the only active 2018 World Cup champion to have been left out of Didier Deschamps’ squad for the 2026 World Cup, having suffered from an insufficient season during his spell at Marseille.

France face Northern Ireland (kick-off at 21:10) in their second and final warm-up match before flying to Boston. Following the defeat to Côte d’Ivoire in Nantes (1-2), Deschamps can count on the returns of William Saliba, Désiré Doué and Ousmane Dembélé to strengthen his squad.

According to Le Parisien, Pavard will be joined in the stands by Raphaël Varane, Samuel Umtiti, Djibril Sidibé, Steven Nzonzi, Blaise Matuidi and Olivier Giroud. The last three mentioned are retired; Varane and Umtiti as well. Pavard, meanwhile, is still under contract with Inter Milan at 30 years old, but his Marseille adventure did not convince the manager. Jules Koundé retains his right-back position, with Malo Gusto as backup.

Paul Pogba, on the other hand, will not make the trip north, having crossed paths with Giroud at the Monaco Grand Prix the day before. Antoine Griezmann, retired from international football since September 2024, will also not be honoured by the northern crowd — an official recognition that is still awaited.

The presence of these former Blues in Lille is not purely sentimental: the Génération 2018 collective, several of whose members are holding a board meeting on Monday, is carrying out social initiatives focused on inclusion through sport and mental health for younger generations.