France are preparing to open their Euro 2024 campaign against Austria on Monday, and Les Bleus cannot wait to welcome back a familiar face in N'Golo Kante.

The former Chelsea man has been hampered by hamstring issues before requiring surgery, while his move to Saudi Pro League side Al-Ittihad saw Kante dropped by Didier Deschamps.

Diminutive midfielder Kante had not appeared in international football over the last two years but made his return to Les Bleus' squad for the tournament in Germany.

Calling upon years of trophy-winning experience in the middle, Kante's France team-mates have been impressed with the 33-year-old's efforts in warm-up friendlies against Luxembourg and Canada.

"I had the impression that there were three of him," French forward Marcus Thurman joked at a press conference on Saturday.

"There's no time to play in training any more. As soon as we have him on our team, we win. He has reminded us in a week why he was one of the greatest midfielders in Europe."

Olivier Giroud echoed a similar sentiment when praising the two-time Premier League champion on Friday.

"He has not changed," veteran Giroud said. "He is the same player I have known for years in the national team and at Chelsea. He is everywhere. It's great to have him with us."

The 55-cap international appears set to start when France open their Group D campaign against Austria in Dusseldorf, if Deschamps' high praise last week is anything to go by.

"For those who had doubts about his abilities and the intensity of play, he is still at the same level," said Deschamps after Kante's surprise recall.

"Even though he hasn't been here for a while, he's not out of place."

Theo Hernandez refused to disclose whether his future remains with Milan amid links to Bayern Munich, as the France international places his full focus on Euro 2024.

Defender Hernandez, brother of Paris Saint-Germain's Lucas, has reportedly drawn interest from Vincent Kompany's Bayern as the Bundesliga giants aim to bolster their defence.

The 26-year-old continues to impress for the Serie A side, who appointed Paulo Fonseca as Stefano Pioli's success this week, despite Milan finishing well behind rivals Inter in the 2023-24 campaign.

Unsurprisingly, his reliable form has led to speculation over his future in Italy, though Hernandez does not want to think about that ahead of France's Euro 2024 opener against Austria on Monday.

"Now I am 100 per cent focused on the Euros," Hernandez said on Saturday. 

"Whether I will stay at Milan or leave, we'll see about this afterwards."

Pressed on a potential return to Spain, Hernandez responded: "At the moment I'm not thinking about it yet."

Hernandez was a key figure for Milan once again in the season just past, with no defender scoring more than his five Serie A goals.

Only Inter's Federico Dimarco (11) bettered Hernandez's nine direct goal contributions in the league among defenders, too, as the pair prepare to compete at the European Championship in Germany.

France boss Didier Deschamps will be expected to utilise the attacking side of Hernandez's game once more as Les Bleus aim to go one better than at Euro 2016, when they lost to Portugal in the final.

"We are working to be at our best, this is a competition where there are very good national teams," he added. 

"We have made good preparations and now we feel the impatience to play this debut match. We have to get to the end like in the 2022 World Cup. There are many leaders in this group, and I am very happy to be here.

"We are working on various things. I like attacking, I love the offensive phase. With the coach we tried various situations.

"I made progress from a defensive point of view. When I arrived at Milan, I wasn't very good in defence. Now it's better, but I prefer to attack."

Kylian Mbappe will always put the team first and is ready to lead from the front as France prepare to open their Euro 2024 campaign against Austria, says Didier Deschamps.

Having scored 44 goals in his final season with Paris Saint-Germain before sealing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, Mbappe will captain his country at a first major tournament, following Hugo Lloris' international retirement.

Les Bleus are among the favourites but the same was true when they crashed out in the last 16 at Euro 2020, losing to Switzerland in a penalty shoot-out.

Mbappe failed to score at that tournament, but his coach is certain he is in top condition ahead of Monday's game in Dusseldorf.

"He is always at the centre of things. That won't change," Deschamps told The Athletic of Mbappe. 

"He will not do anything that goes against the collective interest. It won't be any problem. He is in very good shape, very happy, and concentrated on working hard. 

"The most important thing is that he has the greatest possible freedom. My objective is to put him in the best conditions, and put the team in the best conditions, so that he can be as effective as possible."

Asked about Mbappe's leadership qualities, Deschamps continued: "He speaks but he is not there to be overbearing. 

"If you are not with him, you don’t see how he is with his partners on a daily basis. He has always been part of a collective project, even if he is an extraordinary player who is able to make a difference on his own."

Opponents Austria have been touted by some as a potential surprise package after impressing in their first qualification campaign under Ralf Rangnick, finishing just one point behind Belgium.

"If we're complete, then we're a team that is very hard to beat," the former Manchester United boss said. "We're able to compete with anyone at a high level. 

"We saw that during friendlies against Germany and Italy [both 2-0 wins], but also during the qualifiers against Sweden [2-0 and 3-1 victories]. 

"We're not going to the Euros just to participate. We have faith in ourselves and believe we can qualify for the next round."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Austria – Marcel Sabitzer

Sabitzer was involved in six goals in seven appearances during Euro 2024 qualifying (four goals, two assists), the most of any Austria player.

The Borussia Dortmund man also created the most big chances (four) and accumulated the highest expected assists figure (1.6 xA) of any Austrian.

France – Kylian Mbappe 

Across the last three major international tournaments (2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), Mbappe has scored 12 goals. Harry Kane is the only European player to match that tally.

However, all of those goals have come at World Cups. He failed to convert any of his 14 shots at Euro 2020 and also missed the decisive spot-kick as France lost to Switzerland on penalties. He will be desperate to atone at this tournament, starting on Monday.

MATCH PREDICTION – FRANCE WIN

France enter Euro 2024 as one of the favourites, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 19.1 per cent chance of lifting the trophy before the tournament began. They are expected to live up to that billing here.

Les Bleus have reached the final at three of their last four major tournaments, being losing finalists at Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup and winning the 2018 World Cup.

They plundered 29 goals in their eight qualifiers, with 14 different players getting on the scoresheet for them (excluding own goals) – the largest spread of any nation. 

With the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann – who has 18 goal contributions at major tournaments since the start of Euro 2016 (11 goals, seven assists) – supporting Mbappe, they should have too much for Austria.

Austria have only won one of their last 10 matches against France in all competitions (two draws, seven defeats), triumphing 3-1 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier in September 2008.

The teams have, however, managed one win apiece from their two previous tournament meetings. Austria claimed a 3-2 victory at the 1934 World Cup, and France won 1-0 at the 1982 competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Austria – 15.5% 

France – 65.8%

Draw – 18.7%

Euro 2024 hosts Germany got off to a flying start as they comprehensively dispatched Scotland 5-1 on Friday.

Goals from Florian Wirtz, Jamal Musiala, Kai Havertz and Niclas Fullkrug blew Scotland away at the Allianz Arena.

But while the football entertained, there was also plenty of action on social media.

Here's a pick of the best posts.

The special... two?

Jose Mourinho and Alex Ferguson enjoyed a great rivalry on the touchline down the years, but there was no sign of that as the two watched on from the stands in Munich.

Unfortunately for Ferguson, Scotland were on the receiving end of a hammering.

We can only wonder what these two greats had to say about Scotland's sorry performance, though surely they will have been full of praise for Germany.

Honouring a great

Franz Beckenbauer passed away in January, and ahead of the opening game, his wife Heidi led a touching tribute to der Kaiser.

Moral support

Nathan Patterson is not fit to feature for Scotland, but the Everton full-back has travelled out to Germany to support his team-mates.

Unfortunately for Scotland, it didn't quite work out, and Patterson will be needing to provide plenty of moral support after their heavy defeat in Munich.

Pickford gets quizzed

England goalkeeper Jordan Pickford was fulfilling his media duties on Friday, and he stopped by to answer some fan questions ahead of the Three Lions' opener against Serbia.

Pickford was quizzed on how he copes with the pressure as kick-off approaches - "Enjoy the moment", he said - while revealing former England shot-stopper Joe Hart, who retired last month, has served as an inspiration.

Young guns exciting Schweinsteiger 

Bastian Schweinsteiger helped Germany to World Cup glory in 2014, so it feels like he is pretty well placed to pass judgement on up and coming stars.

And when asked on X for the players he was most excited to see in action at Euro 2024, the former Bayern Munich midfielder picked out Florian Wirtz, Cole Palmer and Rafael Leao.

Wirtz certainly delivered, as he starred in Germany's big win over Scotland. Will Palmer and Leao be equally as impressive for England and Portugal respectively?

Picture perfect

Olivier Giroud is one handsome devil, so it's no surprise that he's a photographer's dream.

That being said, it's rare that the person behind the camera is one of his team-mates, but Giroud could only smile, and offer a cheeky pose, as Benjamin Pavard sneakily grabbed a camera and tried to get the perfect shot while the France number nine was holding a press conference.

Kylian Mbappe hopes to avoid any hangover from World Cup disappointment as the France forward searches for his elusive final international crown at Euro 2024.

The Real Madrid-bound forward scored a hat-trick in the final of FIFA's global tournament in 2022, though that was not enough to stop Argentina from winning on penalties in Saudi Arabia.

Another major tournament is on the horizon as the European Championship awaits in Germany, where Didier Deschamps' side rank as the favourites alongside Gareth Southgate's England.

Euros success is the only glory missing from Mbappe's glittering resume, having won the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League as well, though the 25-year-old hopes to end that this time around.

The former Paris Saint-Germain told CNN Sport: "I want to win the Euros. I have to be honest. I won the World Cup. I won the Nations League.

"That's the only one that missed me with the national team after I did everything with the national team. I really want to win this.

"My first competition as captain, so it's really important for me and it's always important for the country and we want them to be proud of us.

"[It's] another opportunity to write the history of my country."

Mbappe endured a woeful tournament at Euro 2020, failing to score from chances amounting to 1.7 xG in four games, before missing the vital penalty as France lost to Switzerland in a last-16 shoot-out.

Coming into this tournament on the back of a 44-goal season with PSG and with his long-term future decided, few would back a repeat from Madrid's newest Galactico. 

France open their group-stage campaign against Austria on Monday before facing the Netherlands and Austria in a testing pool.

Mbappe believes Les Bleus can take the learnings from the last World Cup into their next quest for the European crown.

"I think we have to move forward," the world-class forward added. "Of course, we were hurt, to see that you're close to something...

"Close to the back-to-back. Something amazing. Something historic. Everybody loved the game except for us.

"We didn't like that, but it's part of the game. Now, when I watch the video of the game, I watch with a smile because it's part of the history and we know what we have to do if we go again in the final.

"We have to play all the game and have no reaction."

Euro 2024 is almost upon us, with Europe's finest preparing to battle it out to be crowned continental champions in Germany.

It all gets under way on Friday as Julian Nagelsmann's hosts face Scotland at the Allianz Arena. 

It seems remarkable to think Die Nationalelf – the most successful national team in Europe – have gone eight years without a knockout win at a major tournament, and they will be desperately hoping home advantage inspires a better run this time around.

England, meanwhile, will be looking to bring football home and end 58 years of hurt in the country their captain Harry Kane thrived in last season.

The Three Lions' 2022 World Cup hopes were ended by France, who are again among the favourites. There is plenty more intrigue elsewhere, from defending champions Italy being drawn in a 'group of death' with Spain and Croatia to Cristiano Ronaldo leading Portugal into a sixth edition of the Euros.

And who could forget Georgia's first tournament as an independent nation, or Scotland's attempts to upset the odds in Group A?

As Euros fever grips the continent, we run through the main storylines and contenders, pick out some underdogs and breakout stars to watch and take a look at the Opta supercomputer's predictions.

THE HOSTS

This will be the first edition of the Euros to take place solely in a unified Germany, though the Allianz Arena hosted games at Euro 2020 and West Germany staged the 1988 tournament – won by the Netherlands as Marco van Basten scored one of the most iconic goals in history against the USSR in the final.

This will be Germany's fourth major tournament as sole hosts overall, and they have always gone far on home soil, winning the 1974 World Cup and going out in the semi-finals at Euro 1988 and the 2006 World Cup.

Hopes were not high for them in late 2023 as a dismal run of friendly results saw Hansi Flick become the first Germany coach to be sacked. However, Nagelsmann has restored optimism and has a supremely talented group of players to work with.

Florian Wirtz's emergence as one of Europe's best attacking midfielders offers cause for excitement – the 21-year-old scored 11 goals and added 11 assists during Bayer Leverkusen's unbeaten Bundesliga title-winning campaign to claim Player of the Season honours.

Wirtz, Jamal Musiala and Ilkay Gundogan will likely support Kai Havertz in a fluid attacking quartet, while Toni Kroos' presence in midfield will be a major boost to a team that averaged 59.3 per cent possession at Euro 2020 – second only to Spain (66.8 per cent).

Kroos – who won his sixth Champions League with Real Madrid this month – played more line-breaking passes (214) and passes leading to final-third entries (69) than any other player in Europe's premier club competition in 2023-24.

The major question mark could pertain to Kroos' partner, with Germany having lacked a true midfield enforcer for some time.

They have conceded at least one goal in their last 12 major tournament games, last keeping a clean sheet against Slovakia in the last 16 at Euro 2016. Will that soft underbelly cost them again?

THE FAVOURITES

England

England's Euro 2024 preparations have been far from perfect, with defensive mainstay Harry Maguire missing out through injury and their final friendly ending in defeat against Iceland. However, Gareth Southgate's side enter the tournament as the Opta supercomputer's favourites.

It is not difficult to see why. In Kane, England have a striker whose tally of 44 goals in 2023-24 was only matched by Kylian Mbappe among players from Europe's top five leagues.

In Jude Bellingham, they have the outstanding player from Madrid's double-winning side, recording 36 goal involvements (23 goals, 13 assists) in his debut season in Spain. 

And in Phil Foden, Southgate can call upon the Premier League's Player of the Season, who produced talismanic performances against Manchester United, Aston Villa and West Ham to cap Manchester City's fourth straight title success. 

With Southgate thought likely to depart whatever the outcome of England's campaign, this tournament must be the culmination of their development into genuine contenders. Penalty shoot-outs excluded, England have only lost one of their last 18 Euros games (10 wins, seven draws) – against Iceland in 2016. 

With Marc Guehi now likely to partner John Stones following injury-disrupted campaigns for both players, the key may be Southgate's ability to protect his backline. 

Across the 2018 and 2022 World Cups and Euro 2020, England conceded just 0.59 goals per game and allowed opponents a paltry 0.72 expected goals (xG) per match – a figure only bettered by France (0.67) among the leading European teams to make each tournament. Reproducing that kind of solidity will be crucial. 

France

Didier Deschamps is eyeing history in Germany, where he could become the first person to win the World Cup and the Euros as both a player and a manager. 

Having reached the final at three of their last four major tournaments, Les Bleus are right up there among the favourites again.

The likes of Hugo Lloris, Raphael Varane, Paul Pogba and Karim Benzema may be gone, but France still boast an incredible depth of talent, with Mbappe leading from the front as captain.

Mbappe endured a terrible tournament at Euro 2020, failing to score from chances amounting to 1.7 xG in four games, before missing the vital penalty as France were beaten by Switzerland in a last-16 shoot-out. 

Coming into this tournament on the back of a 44-goal season with Paris Saint-Germain and with his long-term future decided, few expect a repeat from Madrid's newest Galactico. 

Among the more interesting selections from Deschamps is a recall for N'Golo Kante, who was missed at the 2022 World Cup but failed to prevent Al-Ittihad from finishing a lowly fifth in the Saudi Pro League in 2023-24. With Eduardo Camavinga and Aurelien Tchouameni also included, opposing midfielders are in for a tough time. 

A difficult group-stage draw means France will be tested from the very off, though. If they can top a pool containing the Netherlands, Austria and Poland, they could be on course to meet England in a titanic semi-final. 

Spain

Spain are the only nation to win back-to-back editions of the Euros, bookending their golden era by triumphing in 2008 and 2012. Since then, La Roja have won just two knockout ties at five major tournaments, with a 2022 World Cup exit to Morocco their nadir.  

Luis de la Fuente is the man tasked with bringing back the good times, and victory in the 2022-23 edition of the Nations League represented a decent start.

However, La Roja have been drawn into what is surely the toughest group at the Euros, with Croatia and Italy their first two opponents before they face Albania.

Spain's attractive, possession-based brand of football won them plenty of plaudits at Euro 2020 and the Qatar World Cup, but it did not win them enough games, with Italy, Japan and Morocco all keeping them at arm's length at those tournaments.

As well as averaging the most passes per sequence during Euro 2024 qualifying (six), Spain averaged the most sequences of 10+ passes per game (28.5). Adding an end product is now the aim of the game.

Alvaro Morata must step up after missing a tournament-high six big chances at Euro 2020. He did score 15 goals in LaLiga last term, though, and exciting wide duo Lamine Yamal and Nico Williams should provide him with plenty of service.

Spain's key men in midfield will be Pedri and Rodri.

Man City star Rodri saw his 18-month unbeaten run ended by Manchester United in last month's FA Cup final, but he developed into more than a midfield enforcer in 2023-24, scoring nine goals and adding 14 assists. 

Pedri, meanwhile, netted twice in a dominant 5-1 win over Northern Ireland last week, and is back to form after an stop-start season with Barcelona. His Blaugrana team-mate Gavi will be absent through injury, however.

If La Roja are to add punch to their possession play, this pair may need to be the driving force. 

Portugal

Portugal are the fifth team to be given more than a nine per cent chance of glory by the Opta supercomputer, as Cristiano Ronaldo heads into his 11th – and potentially final – tournament. 

Injury limited Ronaldo to the role of cheerleader when Portugal won Euro 2016, but he has already written his name into the competition's record books and can underline his legacy further in Germany.

Ronaldo holds the records for most games (25), most goals (14), joint-most assists on record (six – since 1972) and most editions with at least one goal (five) at the Euros. 

His place was called into question at the Qatar World Cup, but Roberto Martinez has built around him since taking over last year, with the Selecao plundering 36 goals in 10 qualifiers and conceding just two.

With the likes of Bernardo Silva, Bruno Fernandes, Rafael Leao, Joao Felix, Diogo Jota and Pedro Neto all making their squad, Portugal have one of the most exciting attacking line-ups at the tournament. 

A kind group-stage draw – pitting them against Czechia, Turkiye and tournament debutants Georgia also plays into their hands – and the Selecao also know topping Group F would put them on the opposite side of the draw to England and France, should they also win their groups.

Lionel Messi's triumph at the last World Cup will only have heightened Ronaldo's desire for more international silverware. With a strong supporting cast behind him, he should not be written off.

THE UNDERDOGS

Scotland

Scotland fell flat on their first tournament appearance of the century at Euro 2020, but there are reasons to suggest the Tartan Army might have more to cheer this time around. 

Steve Clarke's side were promoted to the top tier of the Nations League in 2022-23, while a famous 2-0 win over Spain at Hampden Park – courtesy of a Scott McTominay double – set the tone for their successful qualification campaign.

Having lost Aaron Hickey, Nathan Patterson and Lewis Ferguson to injury, Clarke's men face a difficult first test against Germany. However, one win could be enough to qualify under the 24-team format, and they might just fancy their chances of upsetting Hungary or Switzerland. 

Austria

Looking to bloody the noses of France and the Netherlands in Group D are Austria, tipped by many to be something of a surprise package under Ralf Rangnick.

Austria finished just one point behind Belgium in qualifying, Rangnick needing little time to implement his high-pressing style. They allowed opponents just 8.3 passes per defensive action (PPDA) in qualifying – the fewest of any team.

Austria also attacked with the highest direct speed (2.03 metres per second), and if their Group D opponents do not match their intensity, they could spring a surprise.

Georgia

One of the stories of the tournament can be found in Group F, with Georgia featuring at a major tournament for the first time as an independent nation – they are the only Euros debutants in Germany.

They failed to qualify directly - their Nations League performance teeing up a penalty shoot-out victory over Greece in the play-offs. They were the only team to reach the tournament while posting a negative goal difference (-6) in their qualifying group.

When it comes to one-off games, though, they do have match-winners. Napoli's Khvicha Kvaratskhelia completed the joint-most dribbles of any player in qualifying (44), alongside Jeremy Doku, also scoring four goals and providing one assist.

Georgia also have international pedigree in the dugout, with Willy Sagnol their head coach. The former France right-back only lost one of his 12 games at major tournaments as a player (six wins, five draws).

THE BREAKOUT STARS

All eyes may be on Kane, Mbappe and Ronaldo, but major tournaments are often defined by breakout stars, those players who earn big-money moves or become household names within a matter of days.

Slovenia's Benjamin Sesko could be a candidate, having attracted interest from several of Europe's biggest clubs, though he has now signed a new deal with RB Leipzig. Bellingham (19) was the only player aged 21 or younger to better his 14 goals in Europe's big five leagues last term. 

The Netherlands, who are shorn of Frenkie de Jong, may need to spread the goals around in the absence of a top-class number nine, and Feyenoord's Lutsharel Geertruida – who has played at centre-back, right-back or in midfield – had 13 goal involvements in the Eredivisie last term (eight goals, five assists).

Defending champions Italy are being overlooked by many as Luciano Spalletti oversees a period of transition. Inter midfielder Davide Frattesi could emerge as a star for the Azzurri, having scored five goals in 15 caps – more than any team-mate since his debut in 2022.

This tournament has been touted as something of a last dance for Belgium's 'Golden Generation', and PSV winger Johan Bakayoko is the Red Devils' next big hope. Only seven players bettered his 164 opposition-half take-ons in Europe's top six leagues last term, with fellow Belgium wide-man Doku (171) among them.

The supercomputer's prediction

According to the Opta supercomputer, football may finally arrive home on July 14. 

England emerged triumphant in 19.9 per cent of Opta's 10,000 tournament simulations, making them favourites ahead of France (19.1 per cent).

There is then a significant gap to the third favourites, with Germany victorious on home soil in 12.4 per cent of projections, ahead of Spain (9.6 per cent) and Portugal (9.2 per cent). 

The Netherlands (5.1 per cent) and Italy (5.0 per cent) are next, with tough group-stage draws working against them. Belgium (4.7 per cent), Denmark (2.2 per cent) and Croatia (2 per cent) round out the top 10.

France failed to round off their Euro 2024 preparations with a victory as they were held to a goalless draw by Jesse Marsch's impressive Canada side in Bordeaux.

With captain Kylian Mbappe starting on the bench after picking up a knock against Luxembourg on Wednesday, Didier Deschamps' team were unable to find a way through and were arguably fortunate to avoid an upset.

Antoine Griezmann saw a low drive tipped wide by Maxime Crepeau in the first half, but Canada went closer shortly after the restart as Liam Millar curled a shot against Mike Maignan's crossbar.

Olivier Giroud – playing his final home international before he calls time on his France career after the Euros – miscued on the volley before substitute Randal Kolo Muani somehow headed wide when totally unmarked late on.

Having entered the fray as a 74th-minute substitute, Mbappe tried to provide some inspiration with a mazy run in stoppage time, but his powerful drive was pushed away by Crepeau as Canada stepped up their Copa America preparations with a creditable result.

Data Debrief: No way through for Les Bleus

France will not be panicking just yet, with Mbappe's absence from their starting lineup an obvious factor as they struggled to break Canada down, but they will certainly need more in the final third when they face Austria in eight days' time.

They actually managed fewer final-third entries (40 to 50) than Canada, only hitting the target with four of their 13 attempts.

Ousmane Dembele attempted to provide some much-needed drive, attempting more dribbles in the first half alone (11, finished with 13) than in any other game for France. However, end product was lacking for both the winger and his team-mates. 

Antoine Griezmann has described France team-mate Olivier Giroud as the ideal team player ahead of the 37-year-old's final home international fixture on Sunday. 

Les Bleus conclude their Euro 2024 preparations with a friendly fixture against Canada in Bordeaux, before travelling to Germany for their Group D opener against Austria. 

The tournament will be Giroud's final for his country, after the former Arsenal striker confirmed he would be retiring from international football at the end of the competition. He will be hoping to add to his 57 goals, which currently has him as France's all-time top scorer. 

A move to the United States is on the horizon for the 2018 World Cup winner, officially joining LAFC when the MLS' transfer window opens on July 18, leaving Milan after a three-year stint having scored 48 goals in 132 appearances, the second-most he has managed for a single club behind the Gunners. 

Speaking ahead of their fixture against Jesse Marsch's side, Griezmann hailed his team-mate's contribution to his national side, hoping the fixture at the Nouveau Stade de Bordeaux is a special occasion. 

"Giroud said that's his last dance, I hope tomorrow there’s a special something for him," Griezmann said.

"He's a man who deserves recognition. To be the player he has been…that's him, he's the ideal player for a group, for a coach, I have total respect for him and what he's done."

This will be France's first game against Canada since the 1986 World Cup and head coach Didier Deschamps is expecting a more difficult test than last Wednesday when France beat Luxembourg 3-0 in Metz.

Griezmann acknowledged the difficulty his side face, saying: “We need to see if we're ready, tactically, offensively, defensively. This is going to give you some confidence before the big tournament. It's important to see if we're ready. If not, we need to work on it.

"[Canada] won't be easy. We saw that at the World Cup. They have players who are increasingly present here in Europe, so the game is improving over there. They have renowned players, it's a good test for us."

Kylian Mbappe put the furore over his move to Real Madrid to one side as France's "fantastic leader" dominated in Wednesday's 3-0 friendly victory over Luxembourg.

Didier Deschamps lauded the leadership qualities of star striker Mbappe, who celebrated confirmation of his switch to the Spanish capital with a goal and two assists at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.

Mbappe dazzled down the left flank to find space and tee up Randal Kolo Muani's first-half opener before paving the way for Jonathan Clauss' finish after the break.

The France forward was not done there, however, rounding off a fine individual performance with a late goal after an assist from former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Bradley Barcola.

Just 12 days before Les Bleus' Euro 2024 opener against Austria, France head coach Deschamps was delighted with Mbappe's resounding international return.

Deschamps told French channel TF1: "He's a fantastic leader. His head and body weren't used to playing so little. He lacked a bit of juice.

"But he got it in his head that he was going to do everything to make up for his PSG frustration. It was a good example during the week."

France have a final warm-up friendly to come against Canada on Sunday before heading to the Euros, with Netherlands and Poland also in their challenging group.

Deschamps says this dominance over Luxembourg was a positive sign, though there remains room for improvement.

"It's a good rehearsal for the work we've done," he added.

"We're not going to get excited but there are some interesting things. I'm going to correct some positioning.

"But in the offensive animation, we had a lot of variety."

Olivier Giroud also became France's oldest player in history in the victory, coming on as a second-half substitute aged 37 years and 249 days.

Kylian Mbappe assisted two goals and scored the other as France eased to a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg in Wednesday's international friendly at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.

In a game in which Olivier Giroud came on to become Les Blues' oldest-ever player aged 37 years and 249 days, new Real Madrid superstar Mbappe stole the show as France kicked off their preparations for Euro 2024 in a serene manner.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward crossed for Randal Kolo Muani to head home the opener two minutes before half-time after a jinking run down the left, before fizzing in a delivery for Jonathan Clauss to settle himself and flash home a second in the 70th minute.

Mbappe was not finished there as he was teed up by former club-mate Bradley Barcola to slide in the third of the game for France, who did have one moment of concern as Dayot Upamecano departed with a knock.

Data Debrief: Mbappe overtakes two fellow greats

Mbappe has now assisted 28 goals for France, which is two more than Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Indeed, over the past 50 years, only Antoine Griezmann (30) has provided more.

While the victory was straightforward enough for Didier Deschamps' men, who face Canada in their final pre-Euro 2024 friendly, their expected goals return (xG) of 1.46 - compared to 0.13 for Luxembourg - was lower than many would have anticipated.

Kylian Mbappe revelled in a "dream come true" after completing his long-awaited blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

The France captain signed a five-year deal with the newly crowned Champions League winners, who he will join as a free agent in July when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

Mbappe, who was heavily linked with a move away, officially announced his departure from the Ligue 1 champions in early May, bowing out after Luis Enrique's side completed the double with victory in the Coupe de France.

The forward was expected to join Madrid in the 2021-22 season, but rejected the opportunity in favour of signing a two-year contract extension with PSG.

However, two years later, Los Blancos have finally got their man, who took to Instagram to share his delight at joining "the club of my dreams".

"Nobody can understand how excited I am right now!" Mbappe told his 116 millions followers. "A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams."

Mbappe departs PSG as the club's all-time leading scorer with 256 goals, with 44 of those coming in 48 appearances last season.

He now turns his attention to Euro 2024, where Didier Deschamps' France will be targeting their third European crown and looking to go one better than their run to the 2022 World Cup final.

Les Bleus, who complete their preparations with friendlies against Luxembourg and Canada this week, begin their campaign against Austria on June 17, while also facing the Netherlands and Poland in Group D.

Kylian Mbappe has been left out of France's 25-man preliminary Olympics squad ahead of the Games in Paris starting next month. 

Thierry Henry, who is the coach of Les Bleus' under-23 side, did not include the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid in the coming days following Los Blancos' 15th Champions League success. 

The 46-year-old has until July 3 to confirm his final 22-player list ahead of group-stage fixtures against the United States on July 24, Guinea on July 27 and New Zealand on July 30.

Henry has revealed he faced plenty of difficulties when selecting his squad, with several clubs refusing to release their players for the tournament. 

Because the football event at the Olympics is not formally recognised by FIFA, clubs are not obliged to release their players for the competition, which begins on July 24 and ends on August 9.

"Real Madrid were really straightforward about the Olympics," Henry said when quizzed about Mbappe's omission from the squad. 

"The last time I received so many rejections was at the university. There have not even been negotiations. You go, you ask, they say no, and you leave."

Henry was able to include several talented stars from across European football, including Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery were among the other high-profile inclusions. 

However, Chelsea stars Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile were refused release from Stamford Bridge, but the Blues were able to offer midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. 

Asked if he was disappointed by the decisions made by Premier League clubs, Henry replied: "I will respond to this one very, very clearly – it's not the time for me to talk about that, firstly.

"Secondly, am I disappointed or surprised? No. Neither disappointed nor surprised, the clubs are within their rights, unfortunately, and I think what I have been saying hasn't changed since I started talking about the Olympics."

Les Bleus have previously won two medals at the Olympic Games, taking silver on home soil in Paris back in 1900 and gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

The rules of the competition state that each team must be made up of players born on or after January 1, 2001 (aged 23 at the time of the Games). However, three players born before that date can also be included.

Antoine Griezmann called on France's players and staff - and the French media - to ensure Kylian Mbappe is "in the best condition" to lead Les Bleus to glory at Euro 2024.

Didier Deschamps' side are among the favourites to land a record-equalling third European Championship crown in Germany, adding to their triumphs of 1984 and 2000.

The future of Mbappe, who is expected to play a starring role in France's cause, remains uncertain following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, though he is heavily linked with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

Griezmann does not expect the ongoing speculation to affect his team-mate, but insists everyone must pull together to put the skipper in the best shape to deliver the goods for Les Bleus.

"He knows how to put things into perspective," the Atletico Madrid forward told reporters during a press conference. "It's up to us and the staff to put him in the best condition. It's also up to [the media] to talk less about it, but I understand.

"We know him. He is a very important player for us. It's up to everyone to put him in the best condition, and we're going to do it so that it takes us as far as possible. He's big, and he knows how to handle all that very well.

Griezmann is gearing up for his third European Championship with France, who will face the Netherlands, Poland and Austria in Group D.

The 33-year-old top-scored with six goals as Les Bleus narrowly came up short as hosts in 2016 - losing to Portugal in the final - while Switzerland beat them on penalties in the last 16 of the delayed 2020 event.

And he believes that solid foundations at the back will be crucial if he and the nation are to be victorious this time around.

"We were so close [in 2016]," he said. "It was the same thing at the last European Championship, with the penalties.

"I have a lot of desire and a lot of ambition, but we will have to prove it on the pitch. For me, the key - even if it's always very boring - is going to be the defence, a solid team, tough during challenges, and very good defensively."

Kylian Mbappe will draw plenty of attention as speculation swirls over an impending move to Real Madrid, but France head coach Didier Deschamps is not one to place much focus on his superstar forward.

The France international is reportedly readying to complete his switch to Madrid, after announcing the 2023-24 campaign will be his last with Paris Saint-Germain.

Los Blancos are not expected to confirm the deal until after Saturday's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, though focus will swiftly turn to Euro 2024 later next month.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mbappe dominated the line of questioning – but Deschamps remains unbothered by the speculation and acknowledged he is content to "adapt" to the situation.

"It doesn't depend on me," the Les Bleus head coach said as impatience grows for Mbappe's move to be announced in the Spanish capital.

"They will decide when it will be time to make it official. As far as possible, I will adapt to the collective and the French team."

Mbappe leaves Paris with 256 goals across his seven seasons, including 42 in the Champions League, as Luis Enrique prepares for life without the 25-year-old.

Adding in 96 assists for the Ligue 1 champions, Mbappe's 352 goal involvements rank as the most for PSG this century – ahead of Edinson Cavani (236) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (210).

"You don't think he's in good shape... He only scored 44 goals in the season, he could have done better," a teasing Deschamps added.

"He played in a Coupe de France final, he's active."

Though Mbappe remains the focus of European football interest, Deschamps has no intention to treat the attacker any different to his France team-mates.

"The context in the French team is different, I'm not going to pay more attention to him in relation to that aspect," the veteran boss continued.

"But I understand that from the outside, the media aspect in relation to [the club's] decisions and the announcement, it takes up a lot of time."

Deschamps will hope his France team can focus solely on their upcoming Euro 2024 campaign soon, which they start against Austria on June 17.

The Les Bleus manager wants to have qualification sealed by defeating Austria and Netherlands, before a final group-stage meeting with Poland.

"I am a positive person, and I am driven by the idea that every day that goes by brings us closer to a positive response," he said. "Everything will be done to make sure things go as smoothly as possible."

Real Madrid midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni will miss the Champions League final due to a foot injury and could be a doubt for the Euros.

The 24-year-old, who has made 38 appearances across all competitions for the Spanish champions this season, has not played since he suffered a stress fracture during Madrid's Champions League semi-final win over Bayern Munich earlier this month.

Madrid play Borussia Dortmund in the Champions League final at Wembley on June 1.

And ahead of Los Blancos' final LaLiga match of the season against Real Betis on Saturday, Ancelotti confirmed the former Monaco star's injury is relatively serious.

"He's doing individual work but he's not ready for the (Champions League) final," Ancelotti told reporters.

"Let's see if he's ready for the Euros."

France coach Didier Deschamps named Tchouameni in his 25-man squad for Euro 2024, which starts on June 14.

Meanwhile, for Madrid, Saturday's match is an opportunity for fans to bid farewell to Toni Kroos, who is retiring after Euro 2024.

The 34-year-old is one of Madrid's most successful players, winning the Champions League four times during his 10-year stint with the club.

Having also won the title once with Bayern Munich, the Germany international could become only the second player after Madrid great Paco Gento to win six European crowns.

"I don't think it was a difficult decision for him. Veteran players, legends, have to choose their destiny. Toni has made that decision and it must be respected," Ancelotti said.

"We have to say goodbye to him as best we can. I respect his decision. Saying goodbye like this would be ideal. Then you have to have the courage to do it and I have a lot of respect for what he has done.

"Replacing someone like this is almost impossible, but this squad has resources in young people so that they take responsibility and follow the path set over the last 10 years."