France has always been a breeding ground for some of the most incredibly talented footballers to develop.

The state-of-the-art INF Clairefontaine training centre is known worldwide for producing some of the best players in world football.

Additionally, Ligue 1 clubs have invested heavily in their youth systems, with the likes of Lyon, Monaco, and Rennes being well known for bringing through their young players.

The most talented of these young players then go on to represent France at youth international levels, aiming to work their way through the ranks to the senior squad.

This brings us to the topic of this tactical analysis piece.

The France U16 national team is currently in Turkey, participating in a friendly tournament alongside Denmark, Spain and Japan.

The first round of games saw France take on the Danes and walk away with a comfortable 4-1 victory.

In the subsequent sections of this scout report, using EYEBALL technology, we will highlight some of the key players for France U16 and explain why we think they could have a bright future at the highest levels of the game.

We will delve deeper into their individual profiles and unravel the intricacies of their playing styles, strengths, and areas for further development.

As we analyse some of the most exciting prospects in youth football, this analysis will offer a glimpse into the future of French football.

Ibrahim Mbaye – PSG

The first player we are going to look at is 16-year-old right winger Ibrahim Mbaye.

Having put in some impressive performances for PSG in the U19 National this season, his star is certainly shining bright, and he appears to be one of the most exciting prospects in French youth football.

Mbaye is a winger who loves to make runs in behind the opposition’s defensive line.

He has rapid acceleration, which means he is a fantastic ‘out-ball’ when PSG U19 are looking to transition from defence to attack.

Once he brings the ball under control, Mbaye excels in 1v1 situations, as we can see above.

He uses his excellent close control and skills to bypass his opponent, sending him completely the wrong way, creating space for him to carry the ball into and execute a low cross aimed at his teammate.

The 16-year-old is a very dynamic player who provides a constant creative outlet for PSG.

As a result, during the current season, Mbaye averages 3.6 take-ons per 90 and 5.6 crosses per 90.

This has seen him average 1.48 key passes per 90 and 0.82 assists per 90, indicating his teammates are making good use of his creativity and he is capable of carving out goalscoring opportunities for others.

Mbaye is key to PSG U19 tactics within their attacking play.

They typically dominate possession and seek to overload the left side in order to force the opposition to move across to close off the passing lanes.

As demonstrated in this example above, this leaves Mbaye free on the right side.

PSG quickly move the ball so that he can be played in and on this occasion, he carries the ball forward and hits a well-placed shot beyond the goalkeeper.

We can also see in this example that Mbaye positions himself square on so he can see right across the defensive line to ensure he stays onside.

On one hand, it’s good to see him being proactive to stay onside.

However, his body positioning could lead to him being flat-footed on some occasions, which could provide the opposition with an extra second to close him down.

Moreover, Ibrahim Mbaye provides a constant goal threat as he persistently makes runs from the right flank into the penalty area.

In this instance, recognising his teammate is about to beat his opponent, and there is no one in the penalty area, Mbaye uses his acceleration to get there ahead of the defender.

The 16-year-old winger averages 2.5 shots per 90 with 1.81 on target per 90.

He displays excellent off-the-ball movement to get into goalscoring positions, meaning he provides a consistent goal threat for his team.

If there is one area where Mbaye struggles, it is with his defensive positioning.

He is overly reliant on his speed to get him out of some tricky situations.

Of course, at only 16 years old, he has time to develop these skills.

We can see in this example the young winger is unaware of the opposition full-back running into acres of space to receive the long pass.

When he adjusts his positioning, Mbaye accelerates at full speed to cover the ground and put the opponent under pressure.

On this occasion, he charges in too fast and commits a foul.

This is a small aspect of Mbaye’s game that we think requires development and serves as a good reminder that he is still a very young player who is still learning.

Overall, he is a superb attacking outlet for PSG, adding a huge amount of dynamism and creativity to their attack.

Djylian N’Guessan – St. Etienne

The next player in this scout report is St. Etienne’s young striker Djylian N’Guessan.

The 15-year-old is highly rated at club level and has become an essential player for France U16s.

N’Guessan makes some wonderful runs into the box; he knows how to drift into the space between the central defenders, as we can see here.

This makes him a great target for crosses, something that St. Etienne U17 look to utilise frequently.

In this instance, a cross is whipped in, and N’Guessan executes a powerful header into the top corner.

St. Etienne looks to capitalise on N’Guessan’s proficiency in the aerial duels; he is an ideal target at set pieces and for long passes up the field.

He has a good jumping reach and strength, meaning he can often reach the ball and direct it towards a teammate.

Furthermore, the young forward loves to work the channels; he particularly enjoys moving out to the left wing, as shown here.

By intelligently drifting into the channel to receive the ball, the forward forces defenders to make crucial decisions – do they track N’Guessan or risk leaving him unmarked?

We can see that the opposition fullback has been dragged out to the flank whilst the central defenders are occupied by N’Guessan’s teammate, who could make a run into the box.

This leaves space for N’Guessan to run into; when he arrives at the edge of the arena, the 15-year-old executes a low drive at goal.

The St. Etienne forward is comfortable shooting from inside the area and further out, adding an extra layer to his attacking capabilities.

He averages 2.4 shots per 90 this season, with 1.44 on target per 90, demonstrating he can consistently hit the target.

In addition to providing a consistent goal threat, N’Guessan becomes instrumental in link-up play, receiving the ball in wide areas and seamlessly involving other attacking teammates due to his off-the-ball movement.

Additionally, N’Guessan likes to hustle and press his opponent in order to regain possession.

His speed and strength make him a constant nuisance to defenders and means they rarely have more than a split second to make decisions when on the ball.

Here, he sees the opponent is going to intercept the long pass and springs into action, immediately putting him under pressure and forcing him backwards.

As a result, N’Guessan regains possession, and St. Etienne can counterattack.

He does very well in the ground duels, averaging 2.3 per 90, winning 1.82 per 90.

Moreover, the young centre-forward is more than capable of leading his team in a high press as they seek to recover possession high up the pitch and prevent the opposition from playing out of defence.

He is able to force hurried passes and capitalise on mistakes made by the opposition’s defenders or midfielders.

This intense pressure disrupts the flow of the opponent’s possession and increases the likelihood of N’Guessan and his St. Etienne teammates intercepting passes in dangerous areas, setting the stage for the quick counterattacks they like to utilise.

Kyllian Antonio – RC Lens

The final player in this scout report is RC Lens’ 16-year-old central defender, Kyllian Antonio.

He is a relatively new signing for Lens, having joined in the summer from US Torcy in the regional leagues.

As a central defender, Antonio dominates in the aerial duels; he averages 3.8 per 90 and frequently displays his excellent reading of the game to time his jumps to perfection.

In this scenario, upon reading the trajectory of the ball, Antonio just takes a step away from his opponent to ensure he can execute a well-timed leap to win the header.

Additionally, he can then direct the header into his teammate’s path, allowing RC Lens to retain possession and look to build an attack of their own.

Moreover, Antonio knows how to position himself well in the ground duels.

Here, he forces the opponent to go down the line by shifting his body orientation to prevent him from cutting inside.

He then uses his strength to position himself between the opponent and the ball, allowing him to regain possession.

Not only does Antonio recover the ball, but he also successfully shields it from the opponents and has the calmness and composure to play a lofted ball into open space for his teammate to pick up.

Antonio is a defender who avoids unnecessary challenges, meaning he is less susceptible to being bypassed by quick, intricate passing movements.

By staying on his feet, he can read the game more effectively, anticipate the opponent’s passes, and intercept or block them without resorting to tackles that might be easily evaded.

This contributes to a more controlled and organised defensive structure.

This means that he maintains greater mobility and agility, making it easier to react quickly to changes in the opponent’s movement and direction.

His speed and agility become especially crucial in one-on-one situations such as the one above, where Antonio needs to stay with the attacker without resorting to desperate sliding tackles that may leave the defensive line vulnerable.

Antonio is comfortable carrying the ball out of defence, as we have come to expect from our modern centre-backs.

He averaged 1.64 take-ons per 90 so is certainly capable of bypassing an opponent who is looking to put him under pressure.

As we can see here, he carries the ball forward and then plays a line-breaking pass into the feet of his teammate.

With an 87% pass accuracy rating, he is usually reliable with his passing and displays a good understanding of when to release the ball, not holding onto it for too long and inviting pressure.

With Antonio being very adept at playing out from the back, this adds an extra dimension to RC Lens’ build-up play.

The 16-year-old can actively participate in the ball’s progression, allowing the team to start attacks from deeper positions, creating a more dynamic and unpredictable offensive approach.

Furthermore, this contributes to ball retention and possession-based strategies.

By effectively distributing the ball from the defensive third, Antonio ensures his team can maintain control of the game tempo.

His composure and passing accuracy under pressure give the team an additional outlet to retain possession, reducing the likelihood of turnovers in dangerous areas.

Conclusion

This scout report has identified three excellent prospects currently playing with the France U16 national team.

We have highlighted what each of them brings to their domestic clubs and how their performances play a vital role in the success of their teams.

Ibrahim Mbaye is a dynamic winger with a very high ceiling potential-wise and could go on to have a big impact at PSG if he is given the opportunity.

Djylian N’Guessan looks to be a very intelligent striker with a great work ethic for his team.

Additionally, Kyllian Antonio has settled into life at RC Lens very well and has put in some very good performances this season.

France is a country that consistently produces incredibly talented players, and these three show that it is undoubtedly set to continue.