The 2027 World Cup in Brazil is over a year away (from June 24 to July 25), but the presence of the French team is crucial at the beginning of spring 2026.
It’s a tough blow, there’s no other way to put it, as the tireless full-back for OL and the French national team is one of the most consistent players in both defense and offense. Her constant work rate, both defensively and offensively, is a key asset for her teams as the end of the match approaches, not to mention her quality at set pieces. Injured in the calf last week during Lyon’s dominating win over Strasbourg in the French Cup semifinals (0-6), Selma Bacha underwent an examination upon her arrival at Clairefontaine and was sent home. She will not be replaced for the two decisive matches against the Netherlands, with a two-point lead after two out of six matches. Perle Morroni, the American expatriate from San Diego, is expected to take her place.
Letizi: “We will know by mid-June, it’s moving very quickly”
After this April window, with only the top spot being a real goal for direct qualification, everything could be almost wrapped up (regardless of what happens between Poland and Sweden, the other two opponents in the group) if the French team manage to win both times. “By mid-June, the third gathering will be finished, and we will know if we are directly qualified or if we have to go through playoffs, it’s moving very quickly,” summarizes Lionel Letizi, the goalkeepers’ coach.
Laurent Bonadei emphasized the focus on transitions as the number one priority: “The pitch is exceptional, all conditions are met to work well with exercises on possession, defense, and ball recovery.” At the end of the session, the coach congratulated his players: “I hope you enjoyed it, it’s important even in hard work. I really liked the team spirit from everyone, in terms of encouragement and commitment. The goal is to activate this reflex principle in ball recovery. We need to build on what you did against Poland a month ago, but this time in these two matches against the Netherlands.”
