World Cup winner dreams of ending five-year France exile after career revival

Corentin Tolisso has admitted he is still dreaming of earning a recall into France’s squad for the World Cup this summer.

The 31-year-old hasn’t played for his country since their final match at the COVID-delayed Euro 2020, but has enjoyed a revival at Lyon.

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The midfielder came through the ranks at Les Gones as an academy star before joining Bayern Munich in 2017.

Tolisso claimed a raft of trophies in his half-decade stint in Germany, which included winning the Bundesliga in all of his five seasons.

The 28-cap France international also lifted the 2018 World Cup and was part of Bayern’s most recent Champions League triumph in 2020.

However, injuries soon took their toll, and Tolisso’s last game for Les Blues came in their Round of 16 defeat to Switzerland at Euro 2020.

Corentin Tolisso’s career revival

He returned to his boyhood club in 2022, where he has steadily got a firmer handle on his fitness, having missed just 21 days this season.

Lyon’s captain has scored 13 goals in 36 games in all competitions this campaign, while even playing as a makeshift No.9 as well as a No.10.

Tolisso’s form and versatility have sparked calls in his homeland for the 5ft 11in star to earn a recall into Didier Deschamps’ squad.

Those dreams took a major blow when he was omitted again during the March international break.

But Tolisso underlined his form by scoring again in Lyon’s 3-2 win over AJ Auxerre on Saturday, which lifted the club up to third in Ligue 1.

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Corentin Tolisso injury history

Tolisso still dreams of making World Cup

“I was a bit disappointed when the last squad was announced,” Tolisso said to the media post-match.

“I believed [I would be there]. I have promised myself that I won’t talk about it in the media anymore. What will happen will happen.

“You can dream. I am working”.

The talkSPORT Verdict

“There’s outrage from a certain section of French football society each time he doesn’t get picked,” European football expert Andy Brassell told talkSPORT.com last month.

“In his 30s now, but is having a brilliant season on top of his last brilliant season last year. Someone who, it looked like injury was really going to finish his top-level career, going back a couple of years.

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“It got difficult for him at Bayern,” Brassell continued. “The opening of his second spell at Lyon was sort of dogged by injury.

“He went away and got himself really, really fit. He’s probably overused because he’s so versatile and he’s so important to the team in a leadership role.

“But he’s someone who can do that defensive sort of sentinel role. He’s someone who can be your number 10, who’s played false nine on occasions this season, who’s technically fantastic.

“He’s a great finisher, he’s a great last passer. He’s got so much to his game.

“And even before he left for Bayern in the first place, I think the only places that genuinely, the only positions he hadn’t played for Lyon were goalkeeper and centre forward. He’s always been so versatile.

“He’s someone who can contribute in so many different ways. And it’s such a shame that he’s not going to the World Cup, as things stand.”