Right side of the 2018 World Champions (and author of this legendary goal against Argentina in the round of 16), Benjamin Pavard is now very unlikely to play a third World Cup next year in North America. Since his request to evolve in the axis with Didier Deschamps, in 2023, the past player from Bayern to Inter has been suspended from the Blues. The cleaver was bound to fall one day.
The last tenure of the northerner dates back to March 2023 against Germany, during the football lesson inflicted by the Mannschaft in Lyon. Since then, Pavard has not played the slightest minute of Euro 2024, last year, as in the Final Four of the League of Nations last June (against Spain and the German team).
Pavard, who is now a player pushed towards the exit by Inter, is absent from the group unveiled by the EDF coach for the first two matches in the 2026 World Cup qualifiers, against Ukraine on Friday September 5 in Wroclaw (Poland), and Iceland, the following Tuesday at the Parc des Princes. Ibrahima Konaté, William Saliba and Dayot Upamecano are faithful to the post, while Malo Gusto is now the lining of Jules Koundé on the right.
Lucas Hernandez rather than Benjamin Pavard
“La Dèche” explained the sidelining of Pavard and its explanation is very clear: “Benjamin is not what he is able to do. I am faced with the use of defenders between the right axis and the left axis. For those who are selected, Dayot plays right at Bayern, William does it well (to play left) Even if it requires a small adaptation period because it also plays on the right, because it is not the same supports and passing angles. In central right -handed defenders, they are all exclusively a right axis, I therefore prefer to have Lucas (Hernandez). Even if he does not have a huge playing time, he has experience and benchmarks. I preferred to take this option since it may be, in case, a solution on the side if necessary ”.
With Konaté, Saliba and Upamecano now installed to the right of their respective hinge in a club (with Virgil Van Dijk in Liverpool, Gabriel Magalhaes in Arsenal and Jonathan Tah in Bayern), Didier Deschamps has something to do. Finally, Benjamin Pavard, despite his versatility, does not make the weight neither with the defensive rocks of the Blues, nor even with a Lucas Hernandez also able to occupy two different positions. Only a list of 26 players could allow him to find … The tricolor bench.
