Maignan keeps it tight at the back as France's fun boy three make hay up front

Only beaten twice during the 2026 World Cup campaign, Maignan will make his 47th appearance for his country when France take on Spain on Tuesday in the first semi-final.Itr 

The clash will be his 31st since the retirement of skipper Hugo Lloris who was in goal for four World Cups between 2010 and 2022.

France coach Didier Deschamps anointed Maignan as Lloris's replacement in 2023 at the start of the qualifying campaign for the 2024 European championships.

The then 27-year-old was competing with Brice Samba at Lens and Alban Lafont at Nantes.

"It's time for the others to take their chance," said Lloris in an interview in January 2023 with the French sports newspaper L'Equipe in which he announced his international retirement to concentrate on his club football with Tottenham Hotspur.

"I wish them all nothing but the best," added the 36-year-old.*

And Maignan immediately proved his worth during the second Euro 2024 qualifier against the Republic of Ireland in Dublin.

Maignan double save

With France leading 1-0 and the Irish pushing for a late equaliser, he lived up to his nickname of 'Magic Mike' with an acrobatic save to prevent Jules Koundé from scoring an own-goal.

And from the resulting corner kick, Maignan defied gravity to leap and palm Nathan Collins' header over the bar.

"That's Mike," beamed Deschamps after the 1-0 victory at the Aviva Stadium. "What he did was as good as a goal. He's earned us two points."

Ireland coach Stephen Kenny was also full of admiration.

"We had a very good end to the game," said Kenny. "And there is this save at the end which is incredible, exceptional."

Deschamps salutes 'leader'

In October 2025 during the qualifiers for the World Cup, Deschamps named Maignan as captain in the absence of the injured Mbappé.

"Mike is a leader," said Deschamps. "Against Azerbaijan, when Kylian came off, Mike took over the armband. "The fact that he has been able to play so many matches means that he is solid. He is a great competitor, even in training.

"He is a workaholic, sometimes a little too much in my opinion. But that's how he is."

That attitude has been rewarded at club level. Maignan has been AC Milan's skipper since October 2024 - only the seventh non-Italian and the first since 1961 to wear the armband.

At international level, Samba, 32, remains in the picture and 21-year-old Robin Risser has risen up the pecking order following a spectacular season with Ligue 1 runners-up Lens.

“I'm full of pride, it's something incredible,” Risser told French broadcaster TF1 after the announcement of the squad. “I can't find the words. It's just extraordinary. It was one of my dreams.”

It is Maignan though who has played in all five games at the World Cup and will be the last man trying to defy Spanish attempts to advance to Sunday's final at the MetLife Stadium in New Jersey.

But the statistics of three clean sheets and eight saves will count for nothing with a blunder that leads to disaster.

It's the goalkeeper's beast. But the predators up front believe they have a wizard between the sticks.