Report: Aurelien Tchouameni will start France vs Spain, leaving Manu Koné on the bench
To maintain an attack style, France they are always one of the top contenders in 2026 World Cup. To defeat Morocco in the quarterfinals, head coach Didier Deschamps decided to make a change in the middle of the field, choosing Manu Koné alongside Adrien Rabiot. Although he came out as one of the best players in this team, he may return to the bench. It is reported that Aurélien Tchouaméni is expected to return to the starting team against Spain.
According to L’Equipe, Didier Deschamps decided to bring Tchouaméni back into the lineup. During training before the match against Paraguay, he was diagnosed with a minor hamstring injury, which kept him out of the last two matches. Although Koné excelled in midfield, The head coach believes that Aurélien can provide more balance in the midfieldsince he has fully recovered.
While Aurélien Tchouaméni is not coming off his best season with Real Madrid, he has established himself as a starter for France throughout the 2026 World Cup. Apart from being the most eye-catching player of the team, he managed to be the key in the press, controlling the quality of the game.. In addition, he has developed a strong understanding with Adrien Rabiot, who plays more like a boxer, moving freely while remaining solid defensively.
Report: Deschamps makes minor changes to France’s starting XI vs Spain
France will face Spain in the semi-finals of the 2026 World Cup. After Tchouaméni returned to full health, he has no more absences from the lineupsince Kylian Mbappé’s physical problems can be considered serious. As a result, the head coach It is reported that Didier Deschamps has decided to stick to his professional approachmade just one change with Aurélien back in midfield, as he looks to lead France to a third consecutive World Cup final.
Kylian Mbappe #10 of France celebrates with his teammates after scoring a goal
If it is possible to keep the same system, Les Bleus can organize as follows: Mike Maignan, Jules Kounde, William Saliba, Dayot Upamecano, Lucas Digne; Aurelien Tchouameni, Adrien Rabiot; Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembélé, Desiré Doué; Kylian Mbappé.
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France’s road to beating Spain could start in midfield
Spain is one of the best teams in the 2026 World Cup. Not only do they have outstanding goalscoring quality, but their midfield dictates the tempo of the game. Because of this, France will have great difficulty in establishing their style of playas Spain will approach the game aggressively. With that in mind, Didier Deschamps will need to governance within the opposition to pursue victory.
If France is able to control the pitch, it will force Spain to play in transition. Without their wings as far as they can, Luis de la Fuente’s team will lose the strongest part of their game: their build-up play. As a result, Rabiot and Tchouaméni need to be at their best, but Ousmane Dembélé will also need to contribute to put their opponents to sleep and control the game.
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