- Alphonse Areola misses out on France squad for this summer’s World Cup
- The keeper is expected to leave West Ham this summer
- Mateus Fernandes still has hope to make the Portugal team
West Ham United are deep in a relegation fight to stay in the Premier League this season. Despite the Hammers position, a number of players have performed well in the second-half of the season, with many attracting interest from not only other clubs, but their nations as the 2026 World Cup draws ever closer.
Mateus Fernandes, one West Ham’s standout performers this season, made his Portugal senior debut earlier this year. The 21-year-old has a dream to make the squad this summer, but his fate has not yet been decided.
Unfortunately, for one Iron, that is exactly what has happened, and it is not the outcome he would have hoped for.
West Ham’s Alphonse Areola misses out on France squad
West Ham shot stopper, Alphonse Areola, has missed out on the France squad for this summer’s World Cup.
The Hammers goalkeeper has played a bit-part role throughout the campaign after replacing Mads Hermansen, only to be dropped for the Dane since then. Now the club’s cup goalkeeper with Hermansen performing, the 33-year-old remained favoured by France coach Didier Deschamps, but the boss has gone a different direction this summer.
Robin Risser, the 21-year-old from Lens, has been included in his place. This season, Risser has been a revelation, conceding just 35 goals in 33 Ligue 1 games.
Areola misses out alongside Lucas Chevalier, who is another to fall down the pecking order at their club, with Deschamps clearly favouring playing time over his regulars in the team.
33-year-old Areola is likely to leave West Ham this summer, regardless of relegation, but will always go down as a cult hero given his performances in the run the UEFA Conference League win in 2023.
