Jean-Philippe Mateta and Maxence Lacroix are still waiting for their first World Cup minutes, but that should not be mistaken for a wasted start to the tournament.
France opened Group I with a 3-1 win over Senegal on Tuesday night, with Crystal Palace forward Ismaila Sarr starting for the African champions and former Eagle Michael Olise helping Kylian Mbappe break the game open. For Palace’s French pair, though, the evening was spent on the bench.
That is not the headline they will have wanted after the seasons both players have had in south London. It is, however, the reality of trying to break into one of the deepest squads at the tournament, and it gives Palace supporters a different sort of story to follow as France prepare for Iraq on Monday.
Palace pair still waiting for their moment
The official Palace tracker noted that Lacroix and Mateta were both among the France substitutes against Senegal, with both still waiting for their World Cup finals debut after Didier Deschamps’ side made a winning start. You can follow the wider Crystal Palace players at the World Cup tracker as the tournament develops.
There is a natural frustration in that. Mateta’s rise from Selhurst Park cult hero to France squad member has been one of the great Palace stories of the last two years, while Lacroix’s international step felt like proper recognition for a defender who has grown into real authority in red and blue.
Anyone who has watched Palace closely knows what both can offer. Mateta gives France penalty-box presence, aggression and a willingness to occupy centre-backs. Lacroix gives pace, recovery defending and the sort of calm athleticism that can become priceless once tournament football starts tightening around tired legs.
Why France’s depth changes the picture
The catch, of course, is France. This is not a squad where good club form automatically wins a place. Deschamps has world-class options in attack and defence, and Palace’s pair are fighting for minutes in a group built to go deep into the competition.
That is why the Iraq fixture matters. France have banked the opening win, Norway have also started strongly, and the group already has shape. If Deschamps looks to manage legs or alter the balance of his side in Philadelphia, Mateta and Lacroix should both be pushing to be part of that conversation.
For Mateta, even a substitute appearance would carry meaning. Palace have already seen his France journey accelerate from Olympic silver-medal force to senior international forward, and Mateta and Lacroix earning World Cup call-ups was a landmark moment for the club as much as the players.
For Lacroix, the wait is also familiar in a different way. He has had to earn every inch of his France recognition, and Palace supporters will remember how quickly the conversation changed once his performances made him impossible to ignore. The background to Lacroix finally getting his France chance still matters now.
Why Palace should still take pride
There was a time when Palace representation at this level felt like something to count carefully and celebrate quietly. Now the club have players sitting on the bench for France, starting for Senegal, leading Colombia hopes, carrying USA expectations and waiting with England.
That says something about where Palace are. It also says something about what Pierre Sage inherits: not just a good side, but a squad with players trusted by serious international teams.
The next step for Mateta and Lacroix is simple enough to say and hard enough to achieve: get on the pitch and make the moment theirs. If it comes against Iraq, Palace fans will watch with the same mixture of pride and impatience that has followed both men all the way from Selhurst to the World Cup stage.
