France, nicknamed the "Les Bleus," will host Ukraine, nicknamed the "Yellow and Blue Army," at the Parc des Princes in the next round of the 2026 World Cup European qualifiers. French coach Didier Deschamps stated that while Valverde Barcola, who previously played for Paris Saint-Germain, had a busy schedule, the striker remains in good form.

Since the start of the 2025/26 season, the 23-year-old Barcoa has scored 4 goals for Paris Saint-Germain in Ligue 1.

France coach Didier Deschamps said, "Barcoa is in great form and everything is going well. At the beginning of the year, he was in great form for our national team, but he didn't get much playing time. Now, the players participating in the Champions League have played in six matches in just 15 days."

“He didn’t play in the last game against Lyon, he was just on the bench. But he feels good now, he’s in good form, and he’s an important player for our team. Playing consecutive games will certainly bring fatigue, and we mainly focused on recovery on Monday and Tuesday. But he’s in good physical condition and there are no particular problems.”

Furthermore, thanks to goals from Nkunku and Mateta, France drew 2-2 with Iceland in the last round of World Cup qualifiers. France currently leads Group D with 10 points.

It is worth mentioning that Didier Deschamps, 57, announced in January of this year that he would not renew his contract with the French national team after the 2026 World Cup.

Deschamps said, "The most important thing is tomorrow's game. It's a good thing to qualify multiple times in a row, because that's the responsibility of the French national team. Experience will certainly help, but every journey is different. I'm not thinking about the future right now, nor am I thinking too far ahead."

“We will be playing Ukraine at the Parc des Princes. It’s still 2025, and our goal is to advance again. I’m still with this team and I still enjoy it.”

Deschamps also said, "We must cherish every moment, especially in the preparation for such a crucial match. It's all about seizing the moment and enjoying it, and I never look back."