French National Team Gear Up for Euro 2024 with Final Preparations in Bordeaux
France's national football team is set to play their final preparation match ahead of Euro 2024 against Canada, in Bordeaux on Sunday. After securing a convincing 3-0 victory over Luxembourg earlier this week in Metz, Didier Deschamps' squad aims to fine-tune their strategies, enhance team cohesion, and make some rotations without incurring any injuries.
With the upcoming match marking a crucial evaluation point, Deschamps is expected to test the fitness and form of key players like Dayot Upamecano and Kingsley Coman. Unfortunately, Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot are already ruled out, reinforcing the likely participation of N'Golo Kanté against Austria on June 17. Kanté, who shone against Luxembourg, will seek to refine his synergy with teammates Antoine Griezmann and Eduardo Camavinga.
In the absence of Kylian Mbappé, the forward line might feature a Thuram-Giroud-Dembélé trio, though whether the return of Mbappé to the starting lineup will bench either Thuram or Giroud remains uncertain until Sunday night's lineup is announced at 9:15 PM. The Canadian side, ranked 49th by FIFA, is not expected to pose a significant challenge to the French team, despite some talented players like Alphonso Davies and Jonathan Davies.
Challenges Facing the Canadian Team
Canada's national team, having qualified for the World Cup in Qatar in 2022 but exiting at the group stage, is undergoing a period of transition. Under new coach Jesse Marsch, who took over in May, they faced a heavy defeat against the Netherlands in their most recent match. With this, Canada struggles when facing higher-level competition.
Despite this, the Canadian team will be striving to redeem themselves and put up a good fight against the French giants. With European elections delaying the match to 9:15 PM, logistics have been meticulously planned to ensure team members can still fulfill their civic duties by voting through proxy.
Post-match, the French squad will immediately return to their base at Clairefontaine for recovery before heading to their hotel in Bad Lippspringe, Germany. There they will settle into their base camp for the Euro competition, which kicks off on June 17 against Austria. The team’s itinerary is focused entirely on maximizing recovery and preparation time under UEFA regulations.
- The French squad announced their final list for Euro 2024 with no surprises, confirming the roster on Friday. Notable inclusions are N'Golo Kanté and Bradley Barcola. Veteran midfielder Kanté, who returned to the squad after an injury hiatus, will wear his familiar number 13. Antoine Griezmann holds onto his iconic number 7, while Olivier Giroud proudly dons the number 9 for what is anticipated to be his last international competition.
- Despite speculations, Kylian Mbappé will continue wearing number 10, although there are rumors about him taking over the same number at Real Madrid in the future. The team aims to continue the momentum from their 2018 World Cup win and the near miss at the last Euro.
