In a press conference following the announcement of his squad for the 2026 World Cup, Didier Deschamps spoke at length about several Paris Saint-Germain players. Warren Zaïre-Emery, 20, PSG midfielder, Ousmane Dembélé, 29, Parisian forward, and Lucas Chevalier, 24, the club’s goalkeeper, each featured prominently in his remarks.
Deschamps: “Warren can be a third option at right-back”
Zaïre-Emery at right-back?
Warren can be a third option at right-back, based on what he’s done with PSG. Even if he doesn’t play there all the time.
Deschamps: “His effectiveness, what he does, he’ll have an important role”
Dembélé’s position?
Goalkeeper! (Laughs) He had to deal with everything he’s been through, physical problems. He’s also been managing it well. He’s right there in the final stretch. He’s a Ballon d’Or contender! His effectiveness, what he does, he’ll play a significant role. His starting position? Yes, he’s a center forward (with PSG). But he has freedom, just like with the French national team. In the last match against Bayern, he was on the right. For him, like for the others, it’s important to have him, to control the space. The technical connection with the other players… He and PSG, what do they punish!”
Deschamps: “If he hadn’t been injured, he probably would have played.”
Chevalier absent?
“If he hadn’t been injured, he probably would have played. Probably. If he’d been getting playing time, I was hoping for it in March… I told him. He hadn’t played for several weeks already. Unfortunately, it hasn’t improved,” comments relayed by RMC Sport.
The message is clear: Deschamps isn’t just looking at fixed positions, but also the solutions Paris Saint-Germain can offer the French national team. The Zaïre-Emery case is the most telling. Selected as a midfielder, the Parisian youth product is also seen as a credible option on the right, thanks to what he has already shown on occasion with PSG.
This isn’t a career change, but rather a deliberate versatility, useful in a limited squad. Up front, Dembélé appears as a major X-factor: less confined to a rigid position than propelled by his freedom, his effectiveness, and his status as a 2025 Ballon d’Or contender. Conversely, Chevalier’s absence is due to a more pragmatic logic: injury, lack of playing time, and unfavorable sporting criteria.
For PSG, this press conference confirms one thing above all: the Parisian project is now directly influencing Deschamps’ thinking. Between a midfielder capable of filling in at the back, a striker who has become a world-class player, and a goalkeeper hampered by circumstances, Paris is not simply represented in the French national team. It also serves as a laboratory, with its successes and adjustments.
