William Saliba

William Saliba arrived at the 2026 World Cup under a medical cloud after aggravating a back injury in Arsenal's UEFA Champions League final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain; Deschamps initially described him as "very doubtful", but reversed course on 5 June 2026, confirming Saliba "will play" with surgery deferred until after the tournament. He was fully cleared by 10 June.

Born 24 March 2001 in Bondy, France, Saliba came through the Saint-Étienne academy before joining Arsenal as a teenager. After loan spells at Saint-Étienne, Nice, and Marseille, he became Mikel Arteta's first-choice centre-back from the 2022-23 season and has been named in the Premier League Team of the Year in consecutive seasons. His combination of aerial authority, composure in possession, and reading of the game is regarded as elite even by Arsenal's high standards, and he is considered one of the best young defenders in Europe.

France's defence at the 2026 World Cup is built around Saliba at 24. He is the long-term successor to a generation that included Raphael Varane and Laurent Blanc. His form gives Deschamps a settled back line to protect Kylian Mbappé and an attack with genuine title ambitions. At 24 years old during the tournament, he could anchor Les Bleus' defence for the next decade.