Mbappé will face a defender who knows all the tricks of European football and is accustomed to the pace of the top leagues. Koulibaly at 34 still maintains form at the level of elite clubs, but the speed of the French striker is on a completely different scale. This matchup could determine how much experience and positional mastery can slow down youthful audacity.

Saliba in his prime will meet a veteran who still knows how to find gaps in defence through experience and cunning. The French centre-back is accustomed to the pace of the Premier League and pressing, but Mané is a completely different calibre of opponent—a player who knows how to throw a defender off balance with a single movement. On this flank, it will be decided whether youthful power can overcome the artistry of an old master.

Deschamps is the architect of a long-term project sustained through medals and stability; Thiaw has only just begun to rebuild the machine inherited from his predecessor and is still proving that his adjustments work. One embodies a time-tested order, the other a fresh perspective on an already-built system. This contrast between experience and innovation could define the entire encounter.