France Overview

Arsenal defender William Saliba has officially withdrawn from the France squad for their upcoming friendly fixtures in the United States. The 24-year-old was forced to pull out just 24 hours after playing the full 90 minutes in the Gunners' Carabao Cup final defeat at Wembley. Consequently, Crystal Palace centre-back Maxence Lacroix has been handed his maiden senior call-up to replace the injured star.

Kylian Mbappe’s withdrawal from France’s squad due to ankle inflammation has ignited controversy once again after the Real Madrid star was spotted in Dubai during the international break. Instead of returning to Madrid for medical checks, the forward spent several days at a luxury hotel and visited a local padel club, reopening old debates in France about his absences.

In the last few years, it's seemed relatively easy to predict the winner of the Ballon d'Or Feminin. In 2025, though, it feels incredibly tricky, especially after England's win over Spain in the European Championship final.

Every summer, GOAL publishes its exclusive list of the 25 players who have proven themselves truly elite by consistently producing top performances