Real Madrid's Eduardo Camavinga will be watching the 2026 World Cup from home this summer, after being surprisingly left out of France's final squad by manager Didier Deschamps. The 23-year-old midfielder, who started in the 2022 World Cup final, has become one of the tournament's most notable absentees.

Camavinga has earned 29 caps and scored two goals for Les Bleus, but his role has diminished significantly since the Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain. In that time, he's made just three starts for the national team, hampered by a combination of poor form and persistent injuries. After a difficult season with Real Madrid last year, the current campaign has offered little improvement, leaving him on the outside looking in—barring a last-minute injury replacement call-up.

Deschamps explained his difficult decision to L'Equipe, saying, "He's coming off a tough season where he's played little and suffered injuries. I can imagine his enormous disappointment tonight. I had to make some hard choices between the defenders, midfielders, and forwards."

While Camavinga stays behind, three La Liga stars did make the cut for France. Real Madrid teammates Aurelien Tchouameni and Kylian Mbappe will represent the reigning European champions, alongside Barcelona right-back Jules Kounde. Kounde has also faced a challenging season, though he's managed more game time, while Mbappe has been battling injuries since December.

Interestingly, Tchouameni appears to be the only one of the three entering the tournament in strong form. The midfielder has been one of Real Madrid's most consistent performers this year, standing out in a season full of ups and downs for Los Blancos. However, he's also made headlines for the wrong reasons recently, following a heated altercation with teammate Fede Valverde that resulted in a €500,000 fine.

For Camavinga, this marks the first major tournament he'll miss since making his senior international debut—a stark reminder of how quickly fortunes can change in elite football.