France's U-19s hope for a repeat of 2016
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While Kylian Mbappé leapt on to the world stage in the 2016-17 season with AS Monaco as he powered the Principality club to a UEFA Champions League semifinal and a Ligue 1 title, his legend had started to be written well before that. A concussion kept Mbappé out through much of that season's early months, but the previous summer, he and a talented France team had captured the European U-19 title in style.
A 4-0 win over Italy in the final was the capstone to a campaign which saw Les Bleuets score 15 goals in their five matches, with Mbappé coming second to Jean-Kévin Augustin in the scoring charts. With Marcus Thuram and Ludovic Blas also in the fold, France were imperious, and now the current generation has the chance to win a first title at this age level since that tournament eight years ago. Ahead of the tournament kicking off in Northern Ireland next week, we take a look at who's made manager Bernard Diomede's roster, and which Ligue 1 starlets could be in line for their own breakthrough performances.
Eli Junior Kroupi à la finition 🥶#SRFCFCL I @FCLorient pic.twitter.com/n7uRj8mSAM
— Ligue 1 McDonald's (@Ligue1) March 5, 2024
Eli junior kroupi: a record-breaker for les merlus
Despite toggling between the bench and a place in the starting eleven, Kroupi was one of the few bright spots for Lorient in a season that saw them relegated. With five goals and three assists, he finished second to Mohamed Bamba in the team's scoring charts, and also broke André Ayew's record as the club's youngest-ever goalscorer. Having missed last year's U-17 tournament through injury, Kroupi will be eager to win a title.
Saël kumbedi: another lyon youth product
After time at Paris Saint-Germain's academy and breaking through at Le Havre, Kumbedi joined Lyon in 2022, and while he may have featured less regularly under Pierre Sage, his combative attitude and pace have made him one for the future for club and country, with more than forty first-team appearances for Les Gones to date.
christian mawissa: tfc's swiss army knife
A winner of the 2022 U-17 European Championships, Mawissa's versatility made him an increasingly valuable piece of Carles Martínez Novell's defence this season. Able to play in a back three or at either fullback position, Mawissa's canny play belies his years and he'll be integral to France's hopes.
Premier but chez les pros à 1️⃣8️⃣ ans et 292 jours 👶😈
Notre pitchoun Christian #Mawissa devient le plus jeune Violet à marquer en @Ligue1UberEats depuis l'un de ses prestigieux aînés, Bafodé Diakité (18 ans et 138 jours). #SDRTFC pic.twitter.com/zDbmllw7gd— Toulouse FC (@ToulouseFC) February 5, 2024
The squad in full:
Goalkeepers: J. Bengui (Lyon), A. Mirbach (Metz), T. Paradowski (Nîmes), O. Pona (Angers)
Defenders: J. Belocian (Rennes), E. Bitshiabu (RB Leipzig), Y. Gomis (Le Havre), J. Jacquet (Rennes), S. Kumbedi (Lyon), C. Mawissa (Toulouse), M. Sarr (Molenbeek), A. Soumahoro (Paris FC), E. Zidane (Real Betis)
Midfielders: M. Amougou (ASSE), V. Atangana (Reims), M. Benama (AS Monaco), S. Bouabre (AS Monaco), M. Diawara (Lyon), A. Dacourt (Sampdoria), S. Mayulu (PSG), E. Mbappé (LOSC), D. Assoumani (Nantes)
Forwards: A. Aiki (ASSE), J. Bahoya (Eintracht Frankfurt), M. Diakhon (Reims), T. Gomis (Caen), S. Mukuta (Hoffenheim), E. Kroupi (Lorient), L. Michal (AS Monaco), S. Ngoura (Le Havre)
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