France traditionally boasts one of the deepest benches in world football, while Paris Saint-Germain have firmly established themselves as Europe's top club with back-to-back Champions League titles.
In recent years, the Parisian giants have been on a mission to snap up the best French talent, including players like Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue, along with Magnès Akliouche and Bradley Barcola. However, the national team’s wealth of talent allows them to assemble a strong squad even under a strict condition: no player has ever represented PSG — neither in the past nor present.
The core of this symbolic national team is made up of players from some of the strongest leagues abroad, with notable contributions from three players in the English Premier League.
Symbolic France squad without PSG representatives
Goalkeeper: Guillaume Rest (Toulouse)
Defence: Jules Kounde (Barcelona), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich), Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth)
Midfield: Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid), Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid)
Attack: Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Ryan Cherki (Manchester City), Esteban Lepol (Rennes), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)
Premier League trio: solid defensive foundation and creativity in midfield
Players from the Premier League occupy key positions on the pitch:
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William Saliba (Arsenal)
Despite finishing second to PSG in the Champions League final, he has added an Premier League title to his accolades. Saliba has established himself at Arsenal for four years and is considered one of the most valuable centre-backs in the world. Partnering with him is Dayot Upamecano, who has never played for a French club in his senior career.
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Adrien Truffert (Bournemouth)
After a standout debut season in the Premier League, he has secured his place in the team and is preparing for European competition. With Lucas Digne and Lucas Hernandez connected to PSG, the Bournemouth man has staked his claim for the left flank of the national team.
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Ryan Cherki (Manchester City)
This summer, the playmaker moved from Lyon to Manchester, and after a solid start in England, he found himself included in the World Cup squad, taking on the role of chief creator in the attacking trio.
International class and dominance of the giants
Other positions in the squad are filled by representatives from Spain, Germany, Italy, and Ligue 1:
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Goal: First-choice goalkeeper Mike Maignan came through the PSG academy and played 40 matches for their reserve side, making him ineligible under the selection criteria. The number one spot has gone to the 21-year-old Guillaume Rest, who is in his fourth full season at Toulouse.
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Right-back: Jules Kounde from Barcelona was born in Paris but never played for the capital side, having only represented Bordeaux, Sevilla, and the Catalans.
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Midfield: The Real Madrid duo of Aurelien Tchouameni and Eduardo Camavinga provides a balanced midfield. Both moved to Spain straight from Bordeaux and Rennes, bypassing Paris.
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Attack: On the right flank, Michael Olise from Bayern Munich, having developed through English academies and Crystal Palace, leads the charge. Up front, instead of Kylian Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele, we have Marcus Thuram from Inter Milan, who scores in double digits each season in Serie A. The left flank is covered by Esteban Lepol from Rennes, the top scorer in Ligue 1 last season.
Even without PSG’s billions and their star players, French football possesses a ready-made, world-class title-winning squad.
