Euro 2024 Fantasy team previews: France

Next in our Euro 2024 Fantasy team previews, we take a look at France in Group D.

Consistently strong under Didier Deschamps, the 1984 and 2000 winners are confident of reaching their fourth final within the latest five major tournaments.

In these country-by-country guides, we’ll be looking at the best players from each nation, taking a stab at predicted line-ups, reviewing the road to Germany and more.

To do this, we’ll be calling on the help of correspondents from each nation.

Here, we enlist the assistance of well-known journalist and Fantasy fan Julien Laurens. Thank you for your time, Julien!

All prices given are from the official Fantasy Euro 2024 game.

THE ROAD TO QUALIFICATION

Pos	Team	P	W	D	L	GF	GA	Diff	Pts
1	France	8	7	1	0	29	3	+26	22
2	Netherlands	8	6	0	2	17	7	+10	18
3	Greece	8	4	1	3	14	8	+6	13
4	Ireland	8	2	0	6	9	10	-1	6
5	Gibraltar	8	0	0	8	0	41	-41	0

Fuelled by the penalty shoot-out heartbreak of their previous two competitions, France responded ruthlessly. Their only dropped points came in the closing match against Greece, three days after harshly annihilating Gibraltar 14-0.

It surpassed Germany’s thrashing of San Marino in 2006 as the biggest victory in European Championship history.

Just like Group C’s Serbia and Slovenia, Les Bleus will be quickly reuniting with a qualification opponent, having beaten the Netherlands 4-0 and 2-1. Kylian Mbappe (€11.0m) scored twice on both occasions, ending as the team’s leading man for goals and assists.

It’s therefore unsurprising to see Real Madrid’s new signing be Fantasy’s joint-most expensive and most-owned player. But with such a world-class squad boasting absurd depth, he certainly isn’t their only asset worth consideration.

QUALIFICATION IN NUMBERS

Most starts: Theo Hernandez, Antoine Griezmann (8)
Most goals: Kylian Mbappe (9)
Most assists: Kylian Mbappe (5)
Clean sheets: 6 from 8

UNDERLYING STATS

RECORD SINCE QUALIFYING

Date	Competition	Opposition	Result	Score	Goalscorers	Assists
23 March	Friendly	Germany (h)	L	0-2
26 March	Friendly	Chile (h)	W	3-2	Fofana, Kolo Muani, Giroud	Mbappe, T Hernandez, Kolo Muani
5 June	Friendly	Luxembourg (h)	W	3-0	Kolo Muani, Clauss, Mbappe	Mbappe x2, Barcola

Mbappe was involved in all three of Wednesday night’s goals versus Luxembourg. Deschamps named a big-name line-up, whereas only Mbappe and Aurelien Tchouameni (€6.0m) started both March matches.

Forwards Olivier Giroud (€8.0m) and Randal Kolo Muani (€8.0m) helped France squeeze past Chile in Marseille but before that was a home loss to Germany where Florian Wirtz (€7.5m) scored after seven seconds.

It came six months after another friendly defeat to this summer’s hosts, hinting that the seemingly bulletproof French may, in fact, have a weakness that isn’t merely spot kicks. Even so, when playing with a tournament mindset, their full-strength XI will still be feared by everyone.

Meanwhile, one blow has seen defender Lucas Hernandez (€5.5m) ruled out because of a serious ACL injury.

MOST RECENT INTERNATIONAL LINE-UPS

23/03/2024 – Germany (h)

[4-3-3] Samba; Kounde (Clauss 61), Pavard, Upamecano, L Hernandez (T Hernandez 61); Zaire-Emery (Camavinga 61), Tchouameni (Fofana 74), Rabiot; Dembele (Kolo Muani 83), M Thuram (Giroud 61), Mbappe

26/03/2024 – Chile (h)

[4-3-3] Maignan; Clauss (Kounde 11), Saliba, Konate, T Hernandez; Fofana, Tchouameni, Camavinga (Guendouzi 44); Kolo Muani (Diaby 83), Giroud (M Thuram 83), Mbappe

05/06/2024 – Luxembourg (h)

[4-3-3] Maignan; Kounde (Pavard 64), Konate, Upamecano (Saliba 46), T Hernandez (Clauss 46); Griezmann (Giroud 81), Kante (Zaire-Emery 64), Fofana (Camavinga 89); Kolo Muani, M Thuram (Barcola 81), Mbappe