Tchouaméni says his Coupe risk left no regrets for France

Aurélien Tchouaméni explained on France 24 that he accepted to play for France at the Coupe du monde 2026 while not at full fitness, insisting he "took risks but regrets nothing". The 26‑year‑old Real Madrid midfielder spent half the tournament on the bench and the other half battling a thigh injury, after France’s 2‑0 semi‑final loss to Spain.

Playing through pain

Touché à la cuisse, Tchouaméni clenched his teeth to keep his place in the squad, but his performances were “globally disappointing”. He was named in the starting eleven for the semi‑final, partnered with Adrien Rabiot in midfield and Michael Olise in attack, yet he felt he could not match his usual level against Rodri, Fabian Ruiz and Dani Olmo.

"At the third or fourth match, and even a little before, I felt pain," he told France 24. "Obviously it’s a Coupe, so we try to be as performant as possible. I took risks I might not have taken at another time, but I have no regrets."

Selection dynamics

Despite returning to Real Madrid during the tournament, Tchouaméni was not called up by new France manager Zinédine Zidane for his first training camp. Zidane, who has promoted Lucas Da Cunha and revived Eduardo Camavinga, said he wanted to preserve the midfielder.

The next international window includes a match in Italy on 12 November and a game against Turkey on 15 November, where Zidane may reconsider his inclusion.

Tchouaméni remains confident about his future with the national team. "At 26, players usually start to understand the game better," he said, adding that a new manager is doing very good work and that any ambitious player wants to be in the France squad.

When asked about the Ballon d’Or 2026, to be awarded on 26 October in London, he named Kylian Mbappé, Ousmane Dembélé and Michael Olise as deserving French candidates, concluding with a smile that “it should go to a French player”.