France get much-needed win over Italy in UEFA Nations League, show ability without Kylian Mbappe

France closed 2024 with an unexpected recovery in the UEFA Nations League which was completed by a 3-1 win away at Italy on Sunday. Adrien Rabiot scored a headed goal in each half as Lucas Digne excelled with a role in each of the three French goals as Didier Deschamps’ men edged the Azzurri in goal difference in Milan.

Andrea Cambiaso’s effort looked to have kept top spot in League A Group 2 for Luciano Spalletti’s side but Les Bleus just about got over the line despite Thursday’s goalless draw with Israel. It ends the calendar year on an improbable positive note although it does not completely erase the numerous concerns regarding the France national team at present.

What the result does do, though, is hint at a more positive qualification campaign for the FIFA 2026 World Cup which will finally get underway from next spring. Such strong performances from the likes of Rabiot and Digne bring the sort of positivity for Deschamps and his French squad that has been in short supply of late.

Most chatter around Les Bleus focuses on captain Kylian Mbappe’s absence but this sort of result illustrates that there is the necessary talent pool available right now. It will take time to build chemistry similar to that which carried France to success in Russia back in 2018 but there are hints that it could start to develop in qualification.

The Nations League is admittedly not the best barometer of international supremacy given how many top nations ae far from at full strength. However, to recover from an opening 3-1 defeat at home to Italy and finish the campaign by mirroring that result to top the group is something to work with.

Rabiot is returning to full fitness and game sharpness after joining Olympique de Marseille in his homeland while Digne’s consistency with Aston Villa is now being extended to this French side. Deschamps appears to have settled upon a preferred central defensive pairing of William Saliba alongside Ibrahima Konate with Jules Kounde more or less a lock at right back.

Digne has put pressure on Theo Hernandez with this attack-minded showing while Rabiot combining with Manu Kone and Matteo Guendouzi behind Christopher Nkunku was also promising. Sure, the attacking duo of Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram remains a complicated proposition and underlined the continued need for a restored Mbappe.

When you can rely on the likes of Mike Maignan to pull off huge game-winning saves as late on as he did, though, there are clearly some fairly substantial building blocks in place. Mbappe being reintegrated will go a long way towards defining whether or not Les Bleus can loosen the shackles which saw them scuff their way to the UEFA Euro 2024 semifinals.

Deschamps absolutely remains the master of his own destiny with this recovery to his name as 2024 closes and it would be a surprise to see him step aside despite growing frustration with his tactics. It is still unthinkable that he would be forced out while competition showings remain convincing on paper and he has earned the right to say when his time is up in the role.

Not all is rosy with France as this year has shown but the one thing that cannot be disputed is that this team has the talent and that is without the likes of Mbappe, Ousmane Dembele, Aurelien Tchouameni and Lucas Hernandez. The collective mentality and attitude of the players which was on show after the final whistle at San Siro suggests that Les Bleus could yet show a new face in 2025.