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France will have rich depth in attack at the World Cup.
Worth around a billion dollars.
That’s the estimated total value of attacking players France are expected to bring to the tournament, from two-time World Cup final sensation Kylian Mbappé to rising star Désiré Doué.
For coach Didier Deschamps, the puzzle is not who to pick, but who should be left out of his starting XI for France’s opening World Cup match against Senegal on June 16.
He has plenty of talent to complement prolific goalscorer Mbappé, who is enjoying another prolific season with Real Madrid and needs one more goal to tie Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time top scorer with 57 goals.
There’s the speed and finishing of Ballon d’Or winner Ousmane Dembélé; the clinical notation and exquisite passing of Michael Olise; the maverick talent of the technically gifted Rayan Cherki; or the fast races of his fellow newcomer Maghnes Akliouche.
According to estimates from football site Transfermarkt and the CIES Football Observatory, which take into account the remaining length of the players’ contracts, the 10 French attacking players are worth 855 million euros, a fraction of more than a billion dollars.
Here’s a look at the top players.
Mbappé at the top of the list
(Photo by Danielle Parhizkaran/The Boston Globe via Getty Images)
Unsurprisingly, the 27-year-old Real Madrid superstar is in the lead with 200 million euros ($236 million).
Mbappé is followed by Bayern Munich star Olise at 140 million euros. London-born Olise’s form has been scintillating for Bundesliga champions Bayern, with 18 goals and 25 assists in 44 games.
Doué, 20, has three years left on his contract with PSG and is valued at around 115 million euros compared to 100 million euros for Dembélé, who still has two years left at PSG and is eight years older.
Their PSG teammate Bradley Barcola – who played against Chelsea in the Champions League – comes next with 70 million euros, followed by Cherki with 65 million.
Cherki’s value could increase
(Photo by Jean Catuffe/Getty Images)
Cherki first attracted attention six years ago, aged 16, when he scored twice in a Coupe de France match for Lyon. He has entered a new dimension since joining Manchester City in the off-season for what now looks like a bargain fee of €36 million. He scored a fine solo goal against Arsenal in their Premier League summit clash on Sunday.
His ability to create goals with his intuitive passing has surprised even City manager Pep Guardiola – who worked alongside two of the world’s best passers, Lionel Messi and Iniesta at Barcelona – and Cherki’s value could soar if he succeeds at the World Cup.
Akliouche scored in both matches for Monaco against PSG in the hotly contested Champions League playoffs and his cantering runs from deep make him difficult to track. He is also capable of brilliant individual goals, scoring a superb overhead kick for Monaco last season.
He is valued at €50 million alongside Inter Milan striker Marcus Thuram, who has found his form in recent weeks as Inter move closer to the Serie A title.
Thuram completes France’s offensive offering thanks to his heading ability, a strong point shared by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The imposing striker is a consistent goalscorer for Premier League side Crystal Palace and has scored two goals in three appearances for the Blues.
Mateta is expected to join a bigger club next season and is valued at €35 million, ahead of former PSG striker Randal Kolo Muani. He is on loan at Tottenham and, although he has lost form, he would probably fetch 30 million if PSG sold him.
Kolo Muani came close to writing his name into World Cup history in 2022, but missed a chance right at the end of extra time in the final, which France lost on penalties to Argentina despite a Mbappé hat-trick.
Associated Press reporting.
