Deschamps Excludes Florian Thauvin from France Squad for Brazil and Colombia Matches

Didier Deschamps, coach of the French national football team, has announced the squad called up for the upcoming trip to the United States, which saw Lens forward Florian Thauvin excluded from the 26-player group. The French team is preparing for two high-profile friendly matches against Brazil and Colombia on March 26 and 29, respectively. These matches are part of the ongoing preparations before the official announcement of the final squad for the 2026 World Cup finals, scheduled for May 13.

Thauvin's exclusion comes after he had been part of the national team's last two training camps in October and November 2025, marking a return that ended an absence of more than six years from the squad. Despite the forward's strong domestic form, having scored 10 goals and provided 7 assists in 29 matches across all competitions since his return to Ligue 1 last summer, the coaching staff opted to experiment with other attacking options during the upcoming American tour.

The player reacted clearly to his exclusion. Florian Thauvin stated, “Naturally, as a competitor and having participated in the last two national team gatherings, disappointment is certainly present.” The 2018 World Cup winner added that his absence serves as an additional motivation to prove his worth in the future, saying, “My absence from the squad today means that the coach expects more from me in the next phase.”

Meanwhile, the French sports community awaits Coach Deschamps' final decisions, especially given Thauvin's strong comeback, which included scoring against Azerbaijan in World Cup qualifiers last October. The upcoming friendly matches on American soil represent a final opportunity for a number of players to solidify their positions before the official squad for the global tournament next summer is announced.