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Jules Kounde suffers muscle injury before World Cup 2026 opener

Yahoo Sports • 1 min read • Latest: Jun 11, 2026, 3:00 AM

Last updated Jun 11, 2026

Jules Kounde suffers muscle injury before World Cup 2026 opener

Summary

Jules Kounde has sustained a muscle injury during France's friendly against Northern Ireland on June 8, leading to his early exit at halftime. Despite the setback, initial reports suggest the injury is not serious, and he may still be available for France's World Cup 2026 opener against Senegal on Tuesday. France has recently played two warm-up matches, losing to Ivory Coast and winning against Northern Ireland. Kounde, who has faced speculation about his future with Barcelona, is eager to contribute to his national team's campaign in North America this summer.

Source Links

Yahoo Sports

Status Watch

•Kounde injured in friendly against Northern Ireland.
•He left the match at halftime due to the injury.
•French coach Didier Deschamps hopes Kounde can play against Senegal.
•France faces Senegal, Iraq, and Norway in the group stage.
•Kounde has expressed a desire to stay at Barcelona despite transfer speculation.

Latest Updates

3:00 AMYahoo Sports — Barcelona’s Jules Kounde suffers injury ahead of start of World Cup 2026

What they're saying

"
Barcelona and France star Jules Kounde has suffered a muscle injury ahead of the start of World Cup 2026. The defender asked to be taken off at half-time of France’s friendly win over Northern Ireland this week due to the problem, as reported by L’Equipe. It’s not thought that the injury is too serious which […]
— Yahoo Sports

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Barcelona LaLiga Soccer