Gouiri (left) is one of the talents produced by France, but he hasn't had the opportunity to play for the national team - Photo: LE SCORE
23 out of 26 French players for the World Cup were born in France. And as many as 75 players from more than 10 other teams were also born in France, among the 1,248 players on the list for the 2026 World Cup.
Moroccan inspiration
The aforementioned figures truly astonished statisticians. Since the World Cup expanded to a "festival" with 32 teams, and now 48 teams, people have not truly witnessed a footballing nation with such a profound influence.
Where are the 75 French expatriate players located? Here is the list: Algeria - 13 players, Haiti - 12 players, Congo - 11, Senegal - 10, Ivory Coast - 8, Tunisia - 7, Morocco - 6, Ghana - 3, Cape Verde - 3, Egypt - 1 and Spain - 1.
Of course, most of the names mentioned above are from Africa. At the 2022 World Cup, Morocco created a fairytale story – reaching the semi-finals of the tournament thanks to a squad of overseas stars, the majority of whom were born and raised in France.
Even Morocco's coach that year, Walid Regragui, who was also born and raised in France, was deeply connected to French football culture. Some players, although not born and raised in France, achieved success playing for French clubs. Notable examples include Achraf Hakimi and Azzedine Ounahi.
Morocco's resounding success at the 2022 World Cup has ignited inspiration worldwide . Over the past four years, fans have witnessed a "race" to recruit overseas players among football leagues in Africa and Asia.
And France truly is a paradise for scouts and football federations. Large numbers of immigrants across generations have created an incredibly abundant source of overseas players in the country shaped like a hexagon.
Mbappe is a key player for the French national team at the 2026 World Cup - Photo: REUTERS
These stars didn't get a chance in the French national team.
As fans witnessed, France contributed an impressive number of players to the World Cup. Algeria – one of the strongest teams in Africa currently – has called up a squad with half of its players being French expatriates.
They not only dominate in terms of quantity, but also impress in terms of quality. Most of the current Algerian national team's key players were born and raised in France, such as Ait-Nouri, Bentaleb, Mahrez...
The aforementioned squad shares many similarities with Morocco – also a country deeply influenced by French culture. Fans jokingly say that teams like Algeria and Morocco currently look more "French" than the French national team itself.
Indeed, a prime example is midfielder Houssem Aouar, who was once called up to the French national team (but only for friendly matches) before becoming an Algerian citizen in 2023. Aouar bears a striking resemblance to Rayan Cherki, who is of Algerian descent. Aouar's reason for choosing to play for the Algerian national team is simply that he couldn't compete with the star-studded French squad.
Another example is Amine Gouiri. The 26-year-old striker is a true record holder in the French youth teams. He has played for six different French youth teams, from U16 to U21, with a total of 74 appearances and 48 goals.
After seven years of playing regularly in youth teams, Gouiri was never given the opportunity by coach Deschamps to truly represent the "Gallic Roosters." This is understandable, given the star-studded French national team. Gouiri chose to return to Algeria – his parents' homeland. In less than three years, he scored eight goals in 23 appearances for the North African team.
It would be no surprise if Gouiri or Aouar shone at this year's World Cup, proving that what they lacked in France was simply opportunity.
Source: https://tuoitre.vn/suc-manh-dang-ne-cua-bong-da-phap-20260607084212436.htm
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