• Michael Olise hopes to copy Kylian Mbappe’s 2018 World Cup breakthrough this summer
• Rayan Cherki grows into a complete footballer under Pep Guardiola at Manchester City
• Jean-Philippe Mateta brings goals and strong leadership to the France squad
• Gael Clichy predicts big tournaments for all three players in North America

Some footballers need one special competition to become superstars. Kylian Mbappe showed this at the 2018 World Cup in Russia. Fans knew he was fast and skilful before the event. But that tournament made him famous around the world.

Now, Michael Olise could do the same thing. Former France defender Gael Clichy hopes this summer belongs to the Bayern Munich winger. Olise will play in his first World Cup across the United States, Canada and Mexico. He has only played sixteen times for France. Clichy thinks this is the perfect time for him to show his quality.

Clichy worked with Olise at the 2024 Olympics in Paris. He was assistant coach to Thierry Henry with the under-23 team. France reached the final and won silver. Clichy thought that might be Olise’s big moment. But the World Cup is different.

“We see him in the Champions League with Bayern,” Clichy said. “But this is his chance with the full national team. If he plays like he did this season, people will see he is one of France’s best.”

Clichy also has high hopes for Rayan Cherki. The attacking midfielder just finished his first season at Manchester City. He works with coach Pep Guardiola. Clichy sees big changes in the 22-year-old’s game.

“Cherki always looks calm with the ball,” Clichy explained. “He can use both feet. But before this year, he did not work hard without the ball. When you are young, coaches let you skip defence because you win games with your skill.”

Clichy understands this. He is now a manager himself. He knows winning matters most. But modern football needs players to defend and attack. Guardiola taught Cherki this lesson.

“Working with Pep is hard,” Clichy said. “He can make you great or destroy you. You must listen. Rayan listened. He learned to play without the ball.”

Clichy played with Samir Nasri, another skilful French player. Nasri learned to work hard at Marseille, Arsenal and City. He won the Premier League twice. Clichy thinks Cherki has more talent than Nasri.

The third player is Jean-Philippe Mateta. The Crystal Palace striker joins the squad after a strong season. Clichy coached him at the Olympics too. He expected Mateta to change clubs after that success. Instead, Mateta stayed and won the FA Cup and Europa Conference League with Palace.

“Mateta is a traditional strong striker,” Clichy said. “He has power and he scores goals. He is also a great leader in the dressing room. He accepts sitting on the bench and still helps when he comes on.”

Clichy will watch all three as a BBC Sport expert during the World Cup. France needs these players to perform well. If they do, the 2026 World Cup will be their moment to become stars.

• Oliver Glasner claims his second European trophy in his final match as Eagles boss
• Jean-Philippe Mateta’s solitary strike secures maiden continental crown for south London club
• Premier League sides maintain dominance over Spanish opposition in continental finals
• Austrian manager hints at Bundesliga return after emotional Red Bull Arena farewell
• Medical emergency and crowd disturbances mar showpiece event in Leipzig

Crystal Palace have written their name into the history books by capturing their first-ever European trophy. The south London outfit defeated Spanish side Rayo Vallecano in a tense final held at the Red Bull Arena in Leipzig.

Jean-Philippe Mateta proved the hero of the hour. The French forward found the back of the net to register the only goal of the match. This victory marks the club’s third major honour and comes at the end of Oliver Glasner’s reign as head coach.

The win continues a remarkable pattern for English teams against La Liga opponents in this competition. It is the second consecutive season that a Premier League club has overcome Spanish resistance in this final.

Mateta’s journey to this moment has been far from straightforward. The striker previously netted 24 times in Germany’s top flight for Mainz across 67 matches before joining Palace in 2021. Earlier this year, he almost departed for AC Milan, but the move collapsed when he failed his medical examination.

Glasner departs having restored the club to the pinnacle of European football. The Austrian tactician previously guided Eintracht Frankfurt to Europa League success in 2022. During the medal ceremony, he recreated his famous knee slide celebration from that Frankfurt triumph. Reports now suggest a return to the Bundesliga could be his next destination.

The Palace squad boasts significant German top-flight experience. Centre-back Chris Richards featured for Bayern Munich and Hoffenheim, whilst defender Maxence Lacroix played for Wolfsburg. Midfielder Daichi Kamada and full-back Borna Sosa also bring Bundesliga pedigree from their time at Frankfurt and Stuttgart respectively.

The occasion was not without controversy. Supporters from both camps were involved in violent clashes before kick-off. Additionally, the match suffered a brief stoppage during the first period when a medical emergency occurred in the Rayo Vallecano section of the ground.

This victory adds to an already memorable week for English football. Aston Villa lifted the Europa League trophy last weekend, whilst Arsenal now have the opportunity to complete a historic treble for Premier League clubs when they face Paris Saint-Germain in Saturday’s Champions League final.

• Crystal Palace win first European trophy with 1-0 victory over Rayo Vallecano in Leipzig
• Jean-Philippe Mateta scores decisive goal seven minutes after half-time
• Rayo Vallecano dominate possession but fail to convert clear chances
• Oliver Glasner’s tactical discipline ends Inigo Perez’s European fairytale

Crystal Palace have won the UEFA Conference League. The Premier League club beat Rayo Vallecano 1-0 in the final on Wednesday night in Leipzig, Germany.

The Eagles lifted their first European trophy thanks to a goal from Jean-Philippe Mateta. The striker reacted quickly to a rebound early in the second half and found the net.

The first half was tense but goalless. Both teams played with caution and made few mistakes. Rayo had the best chance after 24 minutes when Alemao shot wide. Palace came close just before the break when Tyrick Mitchell headed over the bar.

After the interval, Palace attacked with more speed. Mateta struck in the 52nd minute after the Rayo goalkeeper saved the initial shot. The goal gave the English side control of the match.

Rayo tried to find an equaliser in the final 20 minutes. Jorge de Frutos hit the side-netting and Andrei Ratiu forced a good save from Dean Henderson. However, the Spanish club could not break down the Palace defence.

Yeremy Pino almost made it 2-0 for Palace. His free-kick hit the post twice late in the game. Oliver Glasner’s team then slowed the pace and managed the game professionally until the final whistle.

The victory marks a historic moment for Crystal Palace. It is their first major European title. Rayo Vallecano must settle for runners-up medals after an impressive journey to the final.

• Didier Deschamps announces his final France squad before stepping down as manager
• Robin Risser earns shock maiden call-up as third-choice goalkeeper
• Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta returns to the national team
• France will play friendly matches against Ivory Coast and Northern Ireland before the tournament
• Les Bleus face Senegal, Iraq and Norway in Group I at the World Cup

France manager Didier Deschamps has selected his 26-player squad for the 2026 FIFA World Cup. This marks his final tournament in charge. The 57-year-old coach will leave his position after France’s campaign ends.

Deschamps aims to guide France to a third consecutive World Cup final. The team won the title in 2018 but lost to Argentina on penalties in 2022.

The squad includes a major surprise in goal. Robin Risser, a 21-year-old from Lens, has received his first-ever call-up. He replaces Paris Saint-Germain’s Lucas Chevalier, who misses out through injury.

In attack, Jean-Philippe Mateta returns to the squad. The Crystal Palace forward takes the place of Hugo Ekitiké, who is recovering from a serious Achilles problem. However, Tottenham striker Randal Kolo Muani and Ligue 1 top scorer Estéban Lepaul do not make the cut.

France will play two preparation matches before heading to America. They host Ivory Coast in Nantes on June 4. Five days later, they meet Northern Ireland in Lille on June 8.

At the World Cup, France compete in Group I. They open against Senegal on June 16, followed by Iraq on June 22, and finish the group stage against Norway on June 26.

The Full Squad:

Goalkeepers: Mike Maignan (AC Milan), Robin Risser (Lens), Brice Samba (Rennes)

Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa), Malo Gusto (Chelsea), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al-Hilal), Ibrahima Konaté (Liverpool), Jules Koundé (Barcelona), Maxence Lacroix (Crystal Palace), William Saliba (Arsenal), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich)

Midfielders: N’Golo Kanté (Fenerbahçe), Manu Koné (AS Roma), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan), Aurélien Tchouaméni (Real Madrid), Warren Zaïre-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)

Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Rayan Cherki (Manchester City), Ousmane Dembélé (Paris Saint-Germain), Désiré Doué (Paris Saint-Germain), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Kylian Mbappé (Real Madrid), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich), Marcus Thuram (Inter Milan)

• AC Milan are considering a fresh approach for Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta during the summer transfer window.
• The French forward’s agent, Paul Latouche, attended the recent Milan versus Juventus match at San Siro.
• Milan previously agreed a €30 million fee in January, but the transfer collapsed due to knee concerns.

Italian giants AC Milan could launch another bid to sign Crystal Palace centre-forward Jean-Philippe Mateta when the summer window opens. This comes after the player’s representative watched the Rossoneri’s goalless draw against Juventus at San Siro last weekend.

The Serie A side tried to secure the Frenchman’s signature in January. They had settled on a €30 million transfer fee with the London club. However, the move broke down at the last moment after doctors found problems with the player’s knee during his medical examination.

Sources revealed that Mateta had been competing with a swollen knee for many months. Crystal Palace manager Oliver Glasner stated that the medical failure “was not a big big surprise” because of this ongoing issue.

The 27-year-old spent six weeks recovering from the injury. He has since returned to action and has scored three goals and provided one assist in his last nine matches across all competitions.

Calciomercato.com reports that Milan hope to negotiate a lower price this time. Mateta will have only one year remaining on his contract with the Eagles when the window begins. This situation gives the Italian club leverage to secure a reduced fee compared to the previous €30 million agreement.