Didier Deschamps has selected out-of-form PSG goalkeeper Lucas Chevalier for France’s March friendlies, a move that appears contradictory but is perfectly consistent with the coach’s history of betting on relationships and long-term potential over immediate club form ahead of a World Cup.
The immediate reaction to France coach Didier Deschamps’ 26-man squad for the March friendlies against Brazil and Colombia is one of confusion. Including Lucas Chevalier, the Paris Saint-Germain goalkeeper who has not played a single professional match since January 26, seems to defy all conventional sports logic. Yet, within Deschamps’ long-standing philosophy for building World Cup-winning teams, this selection is not an anomaly—it is a blueprint.
Deschamps himself framed it as a move of “building a relationship of trust.” Speaking to the Associated Press, he directly addressed the paradox: “As far as Lucas is concerned his last match dates back to Jan. 26 if I’m not mistaken. Since then, he has been in a more difficult situation, without playing time. This has often happened to me with important players; it mostly involved outfield players who could be temporarily struggling at their clubs. Reaching out is also part of building a relationship of trust.”
Chevalier’s Club Crisis: A Perfect Storm of Circumstance
To understand this decision, one must first separate Chevalier’s club predicament from his international standing. At PSG, the acquisition of Matvey Safonov in January triggered a definitive shift. Safonov’s arrival, coupled with Gianluigi Donnarumma’s established role, rendered Chevalier a third-choice option overnight. This is not a performance-based demotion; it is a squad-building reality. His lack of minutes is a product of PSG’s roster construction, not a reflection of his ability.
Furthermore, the French football calendar is notoriously dense. Deschamps knows that a player’s value is not solely extracted from Ligue 1 minutes but from their entire profile: training ground comportment, national team integration, and psychological resilience. By keeping Chevalier in the fold, Deschamps is signaling that the national team door remains ajar for those facing temporary club adversity—a crucial message for squad morale 15 months before the World Cup.
The Randal Kolo Muani Parallel: A Template for Loyalty
The Chevalier decision finds its direct parallel in the inclusion of forward Randal Kolo Muani. Like Chevalier, Kolo Muani’s club situation is unstable; he is on a season-long loan from PSG to Tottenham. Unlike Chevalier, however, he is playing regularly and scoring, netting the opener in Tottenham’s 3-2 Champions League comeback over Atletico Madrid this week. His inclusion is an easy, logical choice.
The key link between the two is their PSG origin. Deschamps is maintaining a direct pipeline to the French champions, ensuring he has eyes and relationships within that specific ecosystem. This squad, with its heavy PSG representation (Mbappé, Dembélé, Doué, Zaire-Emery, Hernandez, etc.), underscores that club’s role as the national team’s primary talent pool. Selecting Chevalier is a affirmation of that pipeline, a reminder to PSG’s management that the national team coach values their players—even the ones on the fringe.
The Barcola Withdrawal: Opportunity in Injury
The forward group’s composition was necessitated by the withdrawal of Bradley Barcola due to a right ankle sprain sustained in PSG’s Champions League fixture. This created an immediate vacancy that Kolo Muani fills. The depth chart behind the stellar Kylian Mbappé is a hotly debated topic among fans. By bringing in Kolo Muani, Deschamps opts for proven Champions League tempo and physicality over pure domestic form. This is not about who is hottest in Ligue 1 right now; it’s about assembling a specific profile for high-stakes summer football.
The selection of nine forwards—including debutant Désiré Doué and versatile Ousmane Dembélé—reveals Deschamps’ intent to experiment with varied attacking combinations. The March window is not for final evaluation but for blueprint testing. Chevalier, even if he doesn’t play a minute, is part of that testing framework in the goalkeeping hierarchy.
World Cup 2026: The Two-Month Countdown Clock
Deschamps’ most telling remark is a hedge against the inevitable chaos ahead. “It’s still too early to draw any hasty conclusions, but we’ll stick to this approach, knowing from experience that a lot can happen over the next two months. I just hope it won’t be anything negative, especially when it comes to players’ injuries.”
The period from now until the final squad announcement in late May is a black box. Club form can evaporate. Injuries can derail careers. A goalkeeper controversy at a top club could open a door. By selecting Chevalier now, Deschamps buys time. He avoids a sudden influx of new names into the goalkeeping conversation (alongside Mike Maignan and Brice Samba) and maintains a stable, familiar structure. This squad is a ship on a steady course, with room for late alterations but a firm foundation already laid.
Historical Precedent: Deschamps’ Faith in the Fringe
This is not new behavior. For the victorious 2018 World Cup squad, Deschamps famously held onto Steve Mandanda as the third goalkeeper despite the Olympique de Marseille stalwart’s inconsistent club form, valuing his veteran presence. The pattern extends to outfield players: Blaise Matuidi was often selected for major tournaments when his Juventus form wavered, primarily for his defensive work rate and system familiarity.
The logic is uniform: Deschamps builds a trust-based ecosystem. The coach invests in players he believes understand his tactical demands and possess the mental fortitude for tournament football. A few months without club starts, in his calculus, is a blip that can be corrected in training camp. It is a high-risk, high-reward strategy that prioritizes cohesion over momentary form.
The Fan Dilemma: Trust the Process or Demand Form?
For the French fanbase, this creates a cognitive dissonance. The natural instinct is to demand the “best in form” players. Yet, Deschamps’ track record suggests his definition of “best” is multidimensional. It includes tactical fit, defensive responsibility, and group harmony—qualities that shine brightest in a month-long tournament, not a weekly league fixture.
The Chevalier selection will be debated until the first training session in the United States. If he performs capably in practice and Maignan/Samba remain secure in their club roles, his presence will be forgotten as a prudent depth move. If an injury crisis strikes, Deschamps’ faith will be heralded as foresight. It is the quintessential Deschamps gamble: secure in his process, patient in his execution, and ultimately accountable for the result.
The message to Chevalier is clear: your national team value is not defined by your current club’s hierarchy. It is defined by your history with this coach, your training ground performance, and your readiness to step into a moment that may never come. In Deschamps’ France, the squad is a year-long project, not a snapshot. This March roster is merely the next frame in that long exposure.
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