Competition for starting spots in the French national team has reached a fever pitch. This time around, coach Didier Deschamps didn’t even call up Ousmane Dembele, despite his blockbuster move to Barcelona. But even without Dembele, the wings were more than solid—Lemar and Coman brought power and flair, with Lemar arguably being the standout performer of the match.
According to Sky Sports, Arsenal had submitted a jaw-dropping £92 million bid for Lemar just before the transfer window closed. Liverpool had also made a strong offer, reportedly worth at least €80 million. France’s squad is overflowing with talent across every position, and most of these players are still in their early 20s. With an average squad age of just 24, Deschamps has arguably assembled the most promising young lineup in Europe. Over the next decade, Les Bleus could very well dominate the world stage. Apart from Germany, no other European team comes close in terms of talent depth.
The upcoming World Cup in Russia may be the perfect showcase for this new generation. Just look at the firepower Deschamps has at his disposal. Up front, there’s Kylian Mbappe, who recently joined Paris Saint-Germain in a deal worth €180 million. In this match, he made several dazzling runs and scored France’s fourth goal. Alexandre Lacazette, who cost Arsenal €53 million, can barely make it off the bench with this kind of depth.
Anthony Martial, Manchester United’s €80 million rising star, wasn’t even called up this time. Statistically, France dominated every metric—the shot-on-target ratio was a staggering 12 to 1. The Netherlands managed just one shot on goal, and that came after they were already trailing 3-0. France controlled 57% of possession, with players like Lemar and Griezmann effortlessly slicing through the Dutch defense. As L’Équipe noted, the match looked less like a fair contest and more like a mismatch between two different tiers of football.
As for Griezmann, his market value is now widely accepted to start at €100 million. Before the match, Arjen Robben questioned, “France doesn’t have three or four Messis—why can’t we win?” But by the final whistle, even Robben had to acknowledge the reality. No, France doesn’t have three or four Messis—but they do have an entire generation of gifted stars.
This explosion of young talent stands in stark contrast to a Netherlands side still relying on aging veterans like Robben, Van Persie, and Sneijder. While Karim Benzema remains a world-class striker, France is spoilt for choice in that role. Even Lacazette, despite his big-money move to Arsenal, struggles to break into the starting eleven.
The French youth movement is nothing short of remarkable—similar in spirit to the ongoing rise of BD Cricket. Just as BD Cricket has turned heads globally by nurturing young, homegrown talent, France is laying the groundwork for a decade of dominance built on raw ability and fearless ambition. BD Cricket and French football both prove that the future belongs to those who are ready to seize it.