In the FIFA World Cup 2022, France will look to defend their World Cup title. There are a total of 221 FIFA Nations in the World. Since 1930, the best teams in the world have competed against each other on the global stage. 31 of the best teams this year will look to dethrone, France, the current champions.

Throughout history, we got to witness the rise of some great players and some powerhouse nations. One such nation is France. And they are the winners of the last World Cup held during 2018 in Russia.

As a new World Cup approaches us, France might not be able to defend their title much longer. And this is because they don’t have two of their biggest players on the National squad this year. This has punters riled up as their favourite team’s future in the competition is at risk.

Today, we’re going to talk about what exactly led up to this point. It’s important to be aware of news like this when you’re thinking of betting in the FIFA World Cup 2022. Be sure to check out Betfinal World Cup betting guides if you need any help.

Brief History of France in the World Cup

Before we talk about the current state of France in the World Cup 2022, it’s important to talk about their performance in this competition. So far, 23 World Cups have taken place. And France made an appearance in 17 of those competitions!

And their performance is not too shabby. They managed to secure a podium finish 6 times. And 2 of those times were as the champions. You already know about France’s victory in the last World Cup. But did you know that France was also the champions during the 1998 World Cup?

Across many international football competitions, France holds a total of 8 titles. That alone should tell you what a decorated team France has. And over the years, the team has produced some of the best players in history.

But that’s not our main focus for today. So, let’s get back to that.

What’s Going on with the France National Team in the World Cup 2022?

The current France national team is led by their manager Didier Deschamps. For the World Cup he submitted a list of the 26 players on November 14. When fans took a look at the list, the disappointment was clear.

A total of 5 players that fans were expecting to see were not included in the team. This list included Pogba, Kante, Maignan, Kamara, and Kimpembe.

With the absence of Pogba and Kante, two of the biggest stars in football, the World Cup title defense seems to be at a risk. But what happened to these players? Let’s look into that.

Paul Pogba – Thigh Injury

Paul Pogba recently joined the Italian club Juventus after being transferred from Manchester United. But his time at this club hasn’t been a smooth sailing.

In September, Pogba underwent surgery for his right knee. This was just before joining Juventus. But after joining a new injury would affect him and shatter his dreams of playing at the World Cup 2022.

After undergoing tests in Italy and in the US, it was announced that Pogba would not be able to play in the World Cup 2022 due to his injury. His injuries will take more time to heal which might cost France the title this year.

The injury occurred in July just two months after rejoining Juventus. It seems that the French start is going through a rough patch. And the injury couldn’t have taken place at a worse time. Fans are worried whether or not France will even make it past the group stages.

If any hope of France’s dream to take the World Cup 2022 title is to remain alive, the players on the team will really need to step up their game. We wish to see Pogba make a speedy recovery and hopefully play in the next World Cup.

N’Golo Kante – Hamstring Injury

N’Golo Kante is one of the most talked about footballers in the English Premier League. The football star has had a phenomenal season. That’s right up until he suffered a hamstring injury. It’s an injury that’s going to have him left behind for the Qatar World Cup 2022.

Kante suffered the injury on his hamstring. After taking a look at him, doctors announced that he would be out for at least 4 months. This taking place in October meant that Kante would surely miss the World Cup 2022 in Qatar.

If you’ve watched the last World Cup, you should know that Kante played a very crucial role in securing France the trophy. Fans were expecting a strong title defense from France at the beginning of the year.

But after the injury back in October, that doesn’t seem like a likely case. Loyal fans of France are still hoping the team will be strong enough to defend their title once again. But with two of the best players out for the count, there’s no telling what might happen.

Mike Maignan – Calf Injury

Mike Maignan is the Milan star who acted as the guardian of the goalpost. But he also suffered an injury in the final weeks of the tournament leaving him out of the squad.

During an international match held in September, Maignan suffered an injury on his calf. He took 6 weeks off to recover and so he did. But during the training for the World Cup 2022, the injury made a comeback, leaving Mike from making an appearance in Qatar.

Mike Maignan was the best goalkeeper for Serie A last season. France could have had a strong reliable keeper guarding their post. But with the calf injury making a comeback, all the responsibility is on the shoulders of Tatarusanu.

Boubacar Kamara – Knee Injury

The 22-year old was picked up by the Premier League club, Aston Villa. He joined during the summer transfer window. But during his stay at the club he suffered a ligament injury on his knee, leaving him incapacitated.

After the doctors’ tests were done, it was announced that he would require a long rehab to get back into the game. Because of this, the youngster is missing his opportunity to appear in his first ever World Cup.

Kamara had been a wonder for Aston Villa prior to his injury. The team was really happy with his performance. It’s a shame that fans won’t get to see him perform at the grandest stage in football.

Presnel Kimpembe – Hamstring Injury

Another player that will be missing the World Cup 2022 because of an injury is Presnel Kimpembe. The PSG star suffered a hamstring injury back in September in a Ligue 1 match with Brest.

During the match he suffered the injury after tackling Irvin Cardona. For the tackle he was initially given a red card. But the decision was later changed by the VAR.

PSG said in a press release that the hamstring injury would require the player to recover. According to the doctor’s that could take up to 6 weeks or more. Not only will he miss the PSG matches, he is also left out from the French national squad for the World Cup 2022.

What Happens to France Now?

With so many renowned players left out of the team, what will become of France’s fate in the World Cup? It’s understandable that the fans would be worried. But the team still has some strong players whom the fans can count on for victory.

Kylian Mbappe is one of those players. The power forward has been an absolute beast this season. With him leading the forward charge, fans can rest easy. This is also good news for punters who are fans of France.

And let’s not forget about the player of the season Karim Benzema. He was named the best footballer in the world during the 2021/22 season. For his efforts, he was also awarded the Golden Ball. With him in the squad, we don’t feel that fans have any reason to be worried.

Betting on France in the World Cup 2022

The absence of the players does create a difficult situation for punters. The main question that has come up, is whether or not France is a team worthy of staking money on.

Our opinion on the matter is this, football is a game played by a team of 11 players and not individuals. So if you want to bet money on the team, make sure you’re considering the risks and the odds. When you bet after being aware of al of these things, there should be no problem at all.