France overlook Ekitike for World Cup qualifiers, Akliouche called up / Photo: © AFP/File
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France overlook Ekitike for World Cup qualifiers, Akliouche called up
Hugo Ekitike missed out on a place in the France squad named Wednesday for the start of their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign, but coach Didier Deschamps did hand a first senior call-up to highly-rated Monaco winger Maghnes Akliouche.
Ekitike has made an impressive start to his Liverpool career with three goals in three competitive outings since arriving in the close-season from Eintracht Frankfurt.
However the 23-year-old striker, who scored five goals in five appearances for the France Under-21 side last season, will have to wait for his chance in the senior squad, where competition is fierce.
France, World Cup winners in 2018 and runners-up in 2022, begin their bid to qualify for next year's finals in North America with a trip to Poland to play Ukraine next Friday, September 5.
They then host Iceland in Paris on Tuesday, September 9. Azerbaijan will be their other opponents in Group D, with further matches to be played in October and November and the group winners qualifying automatically for the finals.
Akliouche, 23, has been on the fringes of the full France squad for some time thanks to his impressive displays for Monaco which have led to him being linked with other big clubs around Europe.
He was part of Thierry Henry's team which won the silver medal at the Paris Olympics last year.
Rayan Cherki, who made his senior France bow in June in the UEFA Nations League finals just before joining Manchester City from Lyon, is also included.
Experienced Marseille midfielder Adrien Rabiot is named as well despite being frozen out by his club and put up for sale after being involved in a dressing-room fight with a teammate earlier this month.
France squad
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Paris Saint-Germain), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Rennes)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa/ENG), Malo Gusto (Chelsea/ENG), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal/KSA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)
Midfielders: Desire Doue (Paris Saint-Germain), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Adrien Rabiot (Marseille), Aurelien Tchouameni (Real Madrid/ESP), Khephren Thuram (Juventus/ITA)
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City/ENG), Ousmane Dembele (Paris Saint-Germain), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/ESP), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan/ITA)
C.Kovalenko--BTB