France want revenge — and Tchouaméni might be back

The wound that never quite healed

France were not just beaten at Euro 2024 — they were outplayed, outpressed, and outthought by a Spain side that barely needed to shift out of second gear. Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams ran riot, and Les Bleus trudged home with a semi-final exit that felt more conclusive than the scoreline suggested. Zaïre-Emery, speaking ahead of Tuesday's World Cup semi-final, was direct about what's driving the group: this France squad wants to correct that result, on the biggest stage available.

The framing matters. This isn't just a World Cup semi-final — it's a rematch with a specific score to settle, and Zaïre-Emery is not pretending otherwise. That kind of clarity from a player in the middle of the tournament is either a sign of genuine collective focus, or a hostage to fortune. Probably both.

The Tchouaméni question

Deschamps' tactical headache centres on Aurélien Tchouaméni. According to The Guardian, the France manager is considering recalling the Real Madrid midfielder to the starting lineup — but only if he comes through fitness checks. That 'if fit' caveat is doing a lot of work. Tchouaméni as a doubt rather than a certainty changes the calculus considerably.

Against Spain, the midfield battle is everything. Rodri — back from his long injury absence and operating at close to his best — anchors a Spain engine that generates pressure in waves. Tchouaméni, when fit and at his best, is one of the few midfielders in world football built to absorb exactly that kind of physical and positional load. His absence from the lineup, if it comes to that, would push Deschamps toward a more reactive setup — and reactive is not where you want to be against this Spain side.

Deschamps will not confirm his hand early. He rarely does.

What's actually different this time

Zaïre-Emery's point — that this is a different France team — deserves some scrutiny rather than just a nod. The squad has looked more cohesive through this tournament, with the midfield pressing higher and the transition game sharper than it was in Germany. Zaïre-Emery himself has been one of the tournament's more quietly impressive performers: composed, direct, and unbothered by the occasion in a way that suggests the PSG academy produced something genuinely unusual.

Spain, for their part, are not standing still either. Hansi Flick's influence at Barcelona has filtered into the national setup in subtle ways — the press is more coordinated, the young players are more confident in possession — and Luis Enrique has a squad that knows how to win tournaments, not just matches.

France have the revenge narrative. Spain have the recent history. Dallas gets both on Tuesday — and one of them is going to the final.