Anelka, Kanté, Desailly: Chelsea’s French XI before Maxence Lacroix arrives

Anelka, Kanté and Desailly headline Chelsea’s French XI, named as Maxence Lacroix closes in on becoming the club’s 26th French player.

L'Équipe’s side lines up 3-5-2 to suit natural roles.

Marcel Desailly won the UEFA Super Cup in 1998, the Cup in 2000 and the Charity Shield in 2000. His equaliser in the 2-1 against Liverpool on 11 May 2003 helped clinch Champions League football, without which the takeover by Abramovitch a month later might not have followed.

Chelsea paid €36m for N'Golo Kanté in 2016, and he won the Premier League in 2017, the Cup in 2018, the Europa League in 2019, then the Champions League and Club World Cup in 2021, playing a club-record 269 games for a Frenchman.

Malo Gusto already has 134 appearances and featured in the 2025 Conference League and Club World Cup wins.

Claude Makelele arrived in 2003, anchored midfield in front of the defence, inspired the “Makelele role” tag and helped deliver league titles in 2005 and 2006 among six trophies.

Olivier Giroud joined in early 2018 before the World Cup, scored 11 in the 2019 Europa League, a club record for a single European season, and rose to third among French Premier League scorers with 90.

Source: L'Équipe