France will hear Zinédine Zidane’s first squad announcement on Friday evening, but more than 100,000 supporters have already delivered their own verdict on the 26 players they want to see in Les Bleus colours.
Zidane, appointed France head coach a month and a half ago, is due to reveal his first selection from 18:00 on Friday. The public vote broadly favours continuity from the World Cup squad, while opening the door to several fresh faces from Ligue 1 and beyond.
Maignan remains the clear first choice
Mike Maignan is the overwhelming favourite to retain the goalkeeper’s shirt, selected by 95.2% of voters. The AC Milan goalkeeper leads a familiar three-man group, although the polling suggests a change in the pecking order behind him.
Robin Risser received 81.9% support, well ahead of Brice Samba on 58.9%, with fans backing Risser to become Maignan’s principal understudy. Jean Butez finished a distant fourth with 26.5%.
Lens pair and Jacquet earn defensive backing
Dayot Upamecano is the dominant name in defence, appearing in 97.2% of selections. With William Saliba sidelined through injury, Maxence Lacroix is the preferred partner for the Bayern Munich defender, chosen by 84.3% of participants.
Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé and Malo Gusto also keep their places among the established options. The strongest appetite for change comes in the remaining defensive slots.
Jérémy Jacquet has been rewarded for his impressive start to the season at Liverpool, collecting 64.6% of votes. Lucas Digne is also included despite a difficult return at Paris Saint-Germain.
Two Lens players complete the public’s defensive selection. Matthieu Udol, after another strong campaign, was picked by 44.7%, while Ismaëlo Ganiou narrowly edged Adrien Truffert, 35.3% to 35%.
Camavinga and Tolisso preferred in midfield
Warren Zaïre-Emery is the leading midfield choice with 93.3%, underlining the desire to see the Paris midfielder given greater responsibility under Zidane. He is joined by Adrien Rabiot of AC Milan, Manu Koné of Roma and Real Madrid’s Aurélien Tchouaméni.
Eduardo Camavinga, left out of the World Cup selection, is the public’s preferred returning option with 41.3% support. That places him ahead of N’Golo Kanté in the vote.
Corentin Tolisso takes the final midfield place on 32.6%. The Lyon captain has not featured for France since Euro 2021, but his club form has put him back into the conversation. Como midfielder Lucas Da Cunha, who could be a surprise in Zidane’s own squad, received 25.7%.
Lepaul wins the battle for the reserve striker role
The forward line contains little doubt at the top. Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappé and Ousmane Dembélé were selected by 98.1%, 96.9% and 96.7% respectively, while Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Rayan Cherki also received commanding support.
The significant change comes at centre-forward. Rennes striker Estéban Lepaul is the only new attacking name in the supporters’ 26, taking 70.8% of votes for the back-up No. 9 role.
Marcus Thuram was far behind on 17.7%, with Jean-Philippe Mateta receiving 11.4%. New Paris Saint-Germain player Maghnes Akliouche completes the eight-man attacking group after gaining 60.5% backing.
The supporters’ 26-player France squad
- Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan, Robin Risser, Brice Samba
- Defenders: Dayot Upamecano, Maxence Lacroix, Ibrahima Konaté, Jules Koundé, Malo Gusto, Lucas Digne, Jérémy Jacquet, Matthieu Udol, Ismaëlo Ganiou
- Midfielders: Warren Zaïre-Emery, Adrien Rabiot, Manu Koné, Aurélien Tchouaméni, Eduardo Camavinga, Corentin Tolisso
- Forwards: Michael Olise, Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola, Rayan Cherki, Estéban Lepaul, Maghnes Akliouche
Now comes the real answer: Zidane’s first call-up, and whether the new France coach sees the same emerging names in the late-season light.
