A rescheduled Ligue 1 match involving PSG throws a wrench into France's World Cup roster announcement.
Postponed to Wednesday, May 13, the Lens vs. PSG clash, which counts toward the 29th matchday of Ligue 1, will also have consequences for the France national team and the announcement of Didier Deschamps' roster for the 2026 World Cup.
The postponement of the Lens vs. PSG match generated a lot of controversy last week. Originally scheduled for Saturday, April 11 -- between PSG's two Champions League quarterfinal legs against Liverpool -- the match was ultimately pushed back to Wednesday, May 13, which sparked anger from the northern club and numerous observers.
The LFP board of directors ultimately voted unanimously last Thursday in favor of the postponement requested by PSG and also accepted Strasbourg's request to move its scheduled match at Brest on April 12 to help the Alsatian club best prepare for its Conference League quarterfinal against Mainz.
The Lens vs. PSG postponement will not only impact Ligue 1 or even the Champions League, as Didier Deschamps announced Saturday -- on the eve of France's commanding 3-1 victory over Colombia, which featured a brace from Desire Doue -- that he would delay the announcement of his final roster for the 2026 World Cup.
Deschamps Delays Roster Announcement Because of Lens vs. PSG
Didier Deschamps was originally set to announce his list of 24, 25 or 26 players called up for the World Cup on Wednesday, May 13, during TF1's newscast, but will now do so the following day: "It will be pushed back. Since the PSG match is scheduled for the evening of the 13th ... We will push it back. Sorry for you," he told journalists Saturday, adding, "May 14 is a holiday, but it will be on the evening of the 14th."
Of the five PSG players called up to the France national team this March, all played except Lucas Chevalier. Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue will almost certainly be at the World Cup barring injury, while Lucas Hernandez and Warren Zaire-Emery appear to have made their case against Colombia. Will Lucas Chevalier remain the third-choice goalkeeper for France if he does not play again with PSG before the end of the season? That is a real question.
Injured and unavailable for this international window, Bradley Barcola will also make the trip to the United States this summer if he is physically fit. There will also be a fierce battle for the starting left winger spot on the France national team this summer, with Barcola joined by Hugo Ekitike and Desire Doue -- both scorers during this break -- as serious options.
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