France came within touching distance of repeating as World Cup champions, which would have made them only the third side in history to do so. Italy won in 1934 and 1938, Brazil in 1958 and 1962, and Les Blues had a remarkable tournament in Qatar in 2022. Unfortunately, that wasn't sufficient.
When Karim Benzema was injured last year, Didier Deschamps' team was left scrambling to make up for his absence and prevent a heartbreaking loss. The reigning Ballon d'Or winner, was expected to be a tournament standout but was forced to miss all of the action due to an injury sustained in the days leading up to the start.
France said that the 35-year-old ace was unavailable to return during the event, but the player subsequently refuted this. Instead of calling up a new player, Deschamps relied on the likes of Randal Kolo-Muani, Kylian Mbappe, Antoine Griezmann, and Olivier Giroud.
The player who didn't make France's Qatar 2022 squad is Ligue 1's top scorer
Finding a suitable substitute didn't seem too difficult, considering the abundance of attacking options available in the country. Several names, including Wissam Ben Yedder, Moussa Diaby, and Anthony Martial, were tossed about as possibilities at first. Still, the experienced coach may have looked at Alexandre Lacazette as a potential replacement for the Real Madrid jewel.
Since his contract with Arsenal had expired, Lacazette was able to sign with his ex-side Lyon as a free agent last summer. The French striker rose through the ranks at Lyon, making 275 appearances for the first squad before being recruited by the Gunners in 2017.
In April of last year, he revealed he was in negotiations with vast sides, with Les Gones being considered the favorites to land his services. Since returning to the Parc Olympique Lyonnais, the 31-year-old has netted 19 goals and added four assists. As of now, Lacazette is tied for first place in Ligue 1 scoring with Kylian Mbappe and Jonathan David.
