In life, there are opportunities to be seized at the right time. Called up at the last minute by the French team to compensate for William Saliba’s withdrawal, Maxence Lacroix had a unique opportunity to make his way to the World Cup. Certainly not predestined for such an evolution despite several call-ups to the youth teams, his rise took him from the pitches of Sochaux to the Bundesliga games with Wolfsburg, before establishing himself this season as the real boss of Crystal Palace’s defense. In the Premier League, the Frenchman reached a physical and tactical level which finally opened the doors of the Château de Clairefontaine to him, confirming that the 25-year-old defender now has international stature.
This spring rally turned out to be perfect for Lacroix, coming at the right time just three months before the start of the 2026 World Cup. Launched into the deep end against Brazil while the Blues were outnumbered, he showed remarkable serenity to stabilize the rearguard over the last half hour. Building on this successful entry, he followed up with an excellent start against Colombia this Sunday. Lined up from the start, he dominated the aerial debates and displayed a clean recovery, proving that he could instantly adapt to the demands of the very high level necessary to play for the Blues.
Competition should deprive him of the World Cup
The press was full of praise for his performances and social networks were also rave about his first two successful matches with the Blues. For his part, the native of Villeneuve-Saint-Georges did not hide his satisfaction, officially applying for the trip to the World Cup after the meeting: “not a perfect evening, because I would have liked to finish without conceding a goal this evening (Sunday) but I am very happy with this week with two victories. Now let’s enjoy the last moments. I’ve wanted to come here for a very long time, so I tried to have fun. It’s easier with players like these around, but I got into the swing of it. Wearing the coat of arms of the French team is magnificent. A very great pride. Scheduled, yes, because it was a goal. I did quite a few interviews to say that I was applying for a position. I had this opportunity and I took it.»
However, despite this successful baptism of fire, the ticket for the World Cup still seems difficult to obtain. As the daily underlines The Teamthe Crystal Palace defender starts too far in the face of sectoral competition that is difficult to shake up. With established executives like Ibrahima Konaté, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Lucas Hernandez still performing very well this Sunday, places are expensive. Unless there is an injury between now and June or a tactical choice by Didier Deschamps aimed at integrating five central defenders into his final list, Lacroix’s presence at the World Cup seems compromised, even if he has proven that he is much more than a simple spare wheel. Nevertheless, the 25-year-old rock can boast of having shown that he deserves other selections in the near future. Unless the World Cup opens up to him at the last moment? To be continued…
