While the Blues have just been full of confidence against Brazil and Colombia (2 victories) with a relatively classic group called by “DD”, FM readers have decided to shake up the hierarchy. If certain executives are comforted, other Clairefontaine regulars have been asked to stay at home for the benefit of young people. Position by position analysis of your 26 elected officials. In the very exclusive club of “Intouchables” having collected more than 95% of your votes, we find nine names which are absolutely unanimous.
9 widely acclaimed untouchables
In the goals, the wall Mike Maignan sits at the top with 99.18% of the votes. In front of him, William Saliba (98.47%), Dayot Upamecano (97.44%) and Ibrahima Konaté (96.58%) crush the competition. In midfield, although he is often inclined towards attack, Michael Olise (97.16%) has made everyone agree and establishes himself as the new boss of the midfield. Finally, the flamboyant offensive animation that you praise is based on the 2018 world champions Kylian Mbappé (98.13%) and Ousmane Dembélé (98.09%), to whom you have added a huge youth bonus. Indeed, Désiré Doué (96.73%) and Rayan Cherki (96.05%) are hitting the mark to support executives in North America.
Behind “Magic Mike”, the hierarchy of goalkeepers advocated by Didier Deschamps is generally respected by readers. Brice Samba (68.30%) and Lille’s Lucas Chevalier (58.49%) complete the podium and would fly away with the group. But be careful, the surprise Robin Risser rears its ugly head (45.63%), well ahead of Alphonse Areola (16.57%) who is losing more and more ground in the hearts of supporters, or even Jean Butez (11.84%) who some see as a solid alternative.
Behind the three “untouchables” of the central axis, Jules Koundé narrowly misses the VIP club with 94.93% of the votes. On the sides, Malo Gusto (89.08%) and Lucas Digne (77.58%) stand out as your references to liven up the corridors. Théo Hernandez retains the confidence of two thirds of voters (66.82%), far ahead of his brother Lucas (52.21%). The big defensive surprise comes from Ligue 1 since Lensois Mathieu Udol, with 32.21% of the votes, easily surpasses more experienced players like Pierre Kalulu (30.03%) or Benjamin Pavard (13.69%), proving that consistency and good performances at club end up paying off in your votes.
In addition to the plebiscite of Olise, the hard core of the midfielder is respected. Aurélien Tchouameni comes close to the top (94.03%), while the quartet formed by Eduardo Camavinga (75.67%), Adrien Rabiot (75.36%), Warren Zaire-Emery (72.77%) and Manu Koné (70.09%) constitutes an extremely solid and reassuring base. The eternal N’Golo Kanté (65.40%) also remains very present in your minds. Further down, Maghnes Akliouche still gathers 34.26% of the votes to embody the next generation of Monaco, while OL captain Corentin Tolisso maintains astonishing and great popularity with 42.80% of the votes despite a last selection in Blue dating from 2021.
Ahead, you have made radical choices in this sector! In addition to the four “untouchables” at the front mentioned above, Hugo Ekitike (93.54%), unfortunately forfeited for the World Cup since his injury against PSG in the Champions League, and Bradley Barcola (89.07%) make a resounding entry into your typical list, ejecting almost all the old offensive benchmarks. Marcus Thuram (40.68%) greatly divides supporters and struggles to convince the majority, while Florian Thauvin (21.73%) benefits from a small nostalgia effect coupled with his excellent return to club form.
Kolo Muani and Coman shunned, Kroupi and Bouaddi show up
It is at the bottom of the ranking, below the fateful 10% mark, that the cruelest lessons from this survey are found. Several players recently called by Didier Deschamps are simply being shunned. The Randal Kolo Muani case is the real shock of your votes: although he was selected and started by “DD” against Brazil and Colombia, the PSG striker was completely abandoned by the public with only 9.35% of the votes. For his part, Kingsley Coman (6.88%) is paying the direct price for the emergence of young wingers (Doué, Barcola, Cherki) and is falling in the rankings.
In defense, the dynamic is similar for the full-backs Jonathan Clauss (4.39%) and Adrien Truffert (8.12%), who did not convince you at all and find themselves in the shallows, just like Clément Lenglet (4.87%). Conversely, this zone of less than 10% highlights some bets for the future which sound like real credible surprises, players ready to settle down permanently if given the chance. This is the case of Lorient player Eli Junior Kroupi (9.93%), Aston Villa midfielder Boubacar Kamara (9.66%) and even very young Lille player Ayyoub Bouaddi (4.80%).
Benzema’s fantasy return!
The presence of certain names in the expanded list has visibly rekindled the flame and brought out a tenacious feeling of nostalgia among our readers. Although he officially retired from international football after the 2022 World Cup fiasco and is now playing in Saudi Arabia, Karim Benzema was ticked off by 9.93% of voters! Nearly one in ten readers therefore dream of yet another unexpected “comeback” of the 2022 Ballon d’Or to seek a third star in North America.
To a lesser extent, we observe the same trend for Paul Pogba (3.06%). Although still technically selectable, and finally back on the Ligue 1 pitches with Monaco, “La Pioche” retains an intact love rating among the most romantic among you, who hope to one day see his flashes again in the rooster’s jersey.
Nothing is set in stone yet! If these first results show a strong trend, the hierarchy can still be shaken up by Thursday May 13, the date on which Didier Deschamps will unveil his official list live during the 8 p.m. news on TF1. So you still have time to make your voice heard and shake up this ranking. To do this, do not hesitate to participate or have your loved ones vote by clicking here. The coach is you!
