France national football team players: Top 5 stars to watch out for at Euro 2020

France have become a dominant force in international football over the recent years. Their triumph in the World Cup and the brilliant squad built up by Didier Deschamps has become a force to reckon with. The reigning world champions will open their Euro 2020 campaign against Germany at the Allianz Arena on Tuesday and as Les Blues kick off their campaign, here's a look at some of the best players in the France squad for Euro 2020. 

France national football team players: 5 best players in France squad for Euro 2020

Perched in a tough Group F, also labelled as the 'Group of Death', France and Germany will face stiff competition from reigning champions Portugal and Hungary. Considering that only the top two teams will advance to the knockouts, France will be aiming to start their campaigns with a win. Here are the five players to look out for in the France squad. 

5) N'golo Kante: The midfielder has been dubbed as one of the best players in the world by many and he is integral to France's setup and style of play. A combative force in the centre of the park, Kante often shields the defence and can also burst forward to support the attack. France coach Didier Deschamps also admitted that Kante, who recently helped Chelsea win the Champions League, is the first player on the teamsheet. 

4) Paul Pogba: In the lead-up to their Euro 2020 campaign, France beat Bulgaria 3-0, where Paul Pogba played a key role in the win, winning all his dribbles, creating one chance and making seven ball recoveries. In his previous Euro campaign, the French midfielder played every match, scoring a goal against Iceland in the quarter-finals and providing an assist against Germany in the semi-final. Pogba has formed a formidable partnership with Kante over the years and is likely to be given the green light to unleash his creativity and exert his dominance in midfield.

3) Karim Benzema: After suffering an injury scare last week, Karim Benzema is expected to be fit and could start for Les Bleus in their opening Euro 2020 game against Germany. The star forward made his return to the national team fold for the first time since 2015 and is tipped to lead the line for France. Over the years, Benzema has turned from an attacker acting as a facilitator and creating for others into a striker who prioritises scoring goals himself.

2) Antoine Griezmann: The playmaker has had quite a torrid time at Camp Nou since making the move from Atletico Madrid to Barcelona in 2019. However, there is no doubt about Griezmann's quality and ability to unlock tight defences. Following a stellar World Cup campaign for France in 2018, the 30-year-old will be aiming to follow that up with continental success as well. 

1) Benjamin Pavard: Benjamin Pavard is another name that used to be considered one of the big prospects for the future. His performances in the 2018 World Cup were delightful to watch and the work rate, clearances and attacking prowess from the full-back played an important role for France to win it. He was then signed by Bayern Munich and only improved his game over the past three years. 

Who is France's star player? 

French superstar Kylian Mbappeis tipped as the favourite to win the UEFA Best Player of the Tournament and also a candidate to be the European championship top scorer with players like Harry Kane, Romelu Lukaku or Cristiano Ronaldo in the mix.

The PSG forward, 22, is hungry for success and will be looking to make up for the disappointment of France's defeat in the Euro 2016 final against Portugal and possibly for his season with the Parisian club. He scored a total of 42 goals in all competitions for the Ligue 1 giants during the course of the 2020-21 campaign. 

France national football team players: Who is France national football team captain?

• Goalkeepers: Hugo Lloris, Steve Mandanda, Mike Maignan.
• Defenders: Benjamin Pavard, Leo Dubois, Raphael Varane, Presnel Kimpembe, Lucas Hernandez, Lucas Digne, Clement Lenglet, Kurt Zouma. 
• Midfielders: N’golo Kante, Paul Pogba, Adrien Rabiot, Corentin Tolisso, Moussa Sissoko. 
• Forwards: Karim Benzema, Olivier Giroud, Kylian Mbappe, Marcus Thuram, Kingsley Coman, Wissam Ben Yedder, Antoine Griezmann, Thomas Lemar, Ousmane Dembele. 
  
  Team captain: Hugo Lloris (GK)

Image Credits - Equipe de France Instagram