The Parc des Princes witnessed a solid victory for the French team against Azerbaijan (3-0), confirming the perfect dynamic of the Blues in these qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. A controlled collective success, but not necessarily brilliant, where several individuals alternated between the good and the less good. If Kylian Mbappé once again took on the role of savior, or Hugo Ekitike took advantage of his first tenure to shine, others did not really make an impression. This is the case for Kingsley Coman. Starting on the right flank of the attack, the Al Nassr player failed to transform this match into a springboard. Despite a favorable context and the desire of Didier Deschamps to relaunch it, his return to Blue leaves a taste of unfinished business.
This meeting, however, had a special flavor for the former Bayern Munich player. Called for the first time since his transfer to Saudi Arabia, Kingsley Coman was closely scrutinized. His summons, after several months away from the very highest European level, had sparked a debate, in particular on his ability to still maintain his rank in the selection. Didier Deschamps, deprived of several wingers with the withdrawals of Désiré Doué, Bradley Barcola and Ousmane Dembélé, as well as the absences of Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram, had decided to give him another chance, by starting him against the last of the group. A dream opportunity for the 29-year-old winger, supposed to prove that he remained a credible option in the Blues' offensive hierarchy. Unfortunately, this evening did not really revive its dynamic.
An off-rhythm winger?
On the pitch, Kingsley Coman alternated between outbursts and frustrations. Very active on his lane in the first period, he tried to bring percussion and imbalance. We saw him complete two nice dribbles in the 34th minute, causing three fouls and multiplying calls behind the defense. With 66 balls touched, five dribbles attempted and eight crosses, his offensive involvement is undeniable. However, the efficiency did not follow since the former player trained at PSG missed three dribbles and five crosses in the previously mentioned sample. His crosses often lacked precision, his choices in the last gesture sometimes slowed down the French offensives, and his understanding with Malo Gusto never really found the right setting. If his passing statistics (34 successful out of 37, 92% success) reflect a certain rigor, they also hide a lack of real impact in the last thirty meters.
In the second half, Kingsley Coman gradually disappeared from the proceedings. Less influential, sometimes late in his decision-making, the former Bavarian, awarded a rating of 3.5 by the editorial staff of French Football Weeklysuffered from the pace imposed by the opposing wingers and an unusual loss of accuracy. With 17 lost balls and 4 missed checks, his performance tarnished an already lackluster performance. Didier Deschamps finally replaced him to energize the corridor and inject a little freshness by bringing Christopher Nkunku into play. If his return to the selection has the merit of existing, it has not allowed him to score points in the offensive hierarchy. Aware of the fierce competition to come, Kingsley Coman knows that he will quickly have to find more edge and consistency to hope to keep his place in the France group. And it will start, perhaps, with a more convincing performance on Monday evening in Iceland…
