Aurélien Tchouaméni among the world’s top midfielders
The midfielder’s performances have not gone unnoticed in France.
After an extraordinary start to the season with Real Madrid, Aurélien Tchouaméni is giving Didier Deschamps every reason to start for France at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. The Rouen native put in a great performance last Thursday for the French national team in the world champions’ 2-0 win over Austria. He was brilliant on the ball, strong in the tackle and worked well as the link between the midfielders and the forwards. Such was his level of confidence, he almost scored a first-half bicycle kick, but Austrian goalkeeper Patrick Pentz pulled off a fine save with the vital help of the crossbar.
His performances have not gone unnoticed by the French press. L’Équipe, the newspaper in charge of the French national team’s player ratings, gave him a 7 and highlighted his ability to combine with the team’s star player, Kylian Mbappé.
Perfect replacement for Casemiro
His start to life in Madrid has helped Tchouaméni to avoid the pressure of taking over from the legendary Casemiro at Real Madrid. The sale of the Brazilian to Manchester United meant that the former Monaco man’s performances were under scrutiny, something that did not affect him at all, with virtually no one talking about Casemiro at Chamartin due to how quickly the French midfielder has adapted.
The chances of seeing him start at the World Cup are increasing exponentially as the tournament approaches. With N’Golo Kanté sidelined with injuries and Paul Pogba recovering from knee problems that will keep him out until the start of the tournament, Tchouaméni is the safest option in midfield at the moment.
Since making his debut for France in October 2021, the Real Madrid player has not missed a single call-up and has started the majority of his country’s games. Tchouaméni is set to remain at the pinnacle of world football for many years to come. Tomorrow, against Denmark, in the final round of the UEFA Nations League, Tchouaméni will have another chance to prove that his ceiling is still a long way off.