N'Golo Kanté benched entire 2026 World Cup as France crash out

N'Golo Kanté was left on the bench for every minute of France’s 2026 World Cup campaign as Didier Deschamps’s side crashed out in the semifinals with a 2-0 defeat to Spain on 18 June.

What happened?

France cruised through the group stage and beat Belgium in the round of 16 without breaking a sweat. Yet when the knockout football tightened, Kanté never got a chance to play. The 35-year-old midfielder watched from the bench as Spain’s Rodri dictated the tempo in a midfield rout. Fans erupted on X, slamming Deschamps for calling Kanté to Qatar only to bench him the whole time.

Why it matters for N'Golo Kanté

Kanté won the Saudi League Cup with Al-Ittihad last year alongside Karim Benzema, yet he was overlooked for Aurelien Tchouameni and Adrien Rabiot. One fan wrote: “Kanté carried Al-Ittihad against Al-Hilal while Tchouameni is mediocre and Rabiot comes off the bench at AC Milan.” The squad spot felt like a hollow gesture when no minutes followed.

Kanté starred in France’s 2018 World Cup triumph and missed the 2022 edition with a hamstring injury. Now, at 35, his World Cup career could finish with just seven appearances from eight years ago.

What comes next?

France still has a third-place match on 21 June against either England or Argentina. Kanté could yet add a cap if Deschamps makes a late change. But after zero minutes so far, the optics already sting. One fan summed it up: “Man, it hurts watching legends get disrespected like this.”