Didier Deschamps opened Monday by naming his France starting XI for the match against Northern Ireland in Villeneuve-d'Ascq, kicked off at 21:10, and he chose Désiré Doué, Ousmane Dembélé and William Saliba to start.
The attack featured Kylian Mbappé, Michael Olise and Ousmane Dembélé, with 21‑year‑old Désiré Doué on the left flank — a selection that saw Doué preferred to Paris Saint‑Germain teammate Bradley Barcola in the starting lineup.
Aurélien Tchouaméni and Adrien Rabiot formed the midfield pairing ahead of a back four of Jules Koundé, Dayot Upamecano, William Saliba and Theo Hernandez, with Mike Maignan in goal. Both Dembélé and Saliba returned to the starting side for the match.
The setup is being used as a final on‑field rehearsal before France departs for the World Cup: Deschamps presented a composition that should resemble the one used against Senegal on 16 June for France’s opening match at the tournament.
The most immediate talking point is the left wing choice. Doué, 21, started over Barcola despite both players being club teammates at PSG — a selection that makes the left flank one of the clearest places to watch for any late changes before the World Cup.
Logistics were straightforward: the fixture kicked off at 21:10 in Villeneuve‑d'Ascq and served as the last match‑speed check before France finalises its tournament plans. The mix of experienced starters and returning names gave Deschamps a near‑full dress rehearsal.
The question that remains decisive after this match is whether Deschamps will carry this exact XI into France’s World Cup opener against Senegal on 16 June; that choice — and specifically whether Doué keeps the left‑side role over Barcola — is the selection that will determine how close Monday’s lineup was to the team that starts the tournament.
