Chelsea's French star ready to attack World Cup with gusto

Malo Gusto’s proven big match-winning temperament will stand him in good stead as he looks to challenge Jules Kounde for the starting berth as France’s right back at the World Cup.

The 23-year-old was part of the Chelsea team which won the Europa Conference League and Club World Cup last season and despite the Londoners’ subsequent poor campaign — in which they finished a dismal 10th in the Premier League — Gusto has done enough to convince France coach Didier Deschamps to take him to the World Cup.

Gusto told AFP that it has been the fulfilment of a childhood dream and has made him “hugely proud”.

His inclusion in the 26-man squad speaks volumes of Deschamps’s view of Gusto, not least since midfielder Eduardo Camavinga missed out following Real Madrid’s mediocre campaign.

Indeed Gusto paid tribute to a Chelsea teammate as having brought him on in leaps and bounds since he joined from Ligue 1 side Lyon for a reported 30 million euros ($35 million) in 2023.

“Reece James has been tops,” said Gusto of the England fullback whom he is in direct competition with for a starting berth at club level.

“He is someone I have learnt a lot from since coming to Chelsea.”

Gusto, who has nine caps to his name since being blooded in 2023, says that former Barcelona and Brazil legend Dani Alves is the benchmark for him as a fullback.

“He is someone who had all the qualities of a modern fullback, who defended well but attacked very effectively as well,” said Gusto.

Gusto admits that he is far from the finished article, having only switched to fullback aged 17.

“Defensively there are a lot of areas where I could do better,” he said.

“In attack I could bring more with regards to statistics.

“But I am working on it, indeed working very hard.

“That is what pays off every time. It is not magic, everyone knows that.

“When you work as you should, you obtain results.

“That is what helps me a lot. It is because of that that I am in the French squad.”

‘Reference point’

Gusto, Manchester City’s Rayan Cherki and Paris Saint Germain’s two-time Champions League-winning forward Bradley Barcola all came through the Lyon academy at the same time.

“To see us three here is something really beautiful,” he said.

“The Lyon youth system is recognised worldwide.

“There is a Lyon DNA: Bradley, Rayan and myself, we are all ball players.

“The academy taught us a lot about how to play.

“To not be afraid of using the ball in the best possible fashion.”

As France bid to regain the World Cup that they won in 2018 before losing the 2022 final to Argentina, Gusto said that the whole squad is on the same page as Deschamps leads the national side for the final time at a major tournament.

“That helps, of course,” he said.

“I endeavour to bring my energy, my carefree attitude as well.

“I am there to put my brick in the building.

“We have players like Kylian (Mbappe), Ousmane (Dembele), who are among the best players in the world.

“To have connections with them on the pitch is magnificent.”

Kounde may be the incumbent right back but he is four years older than Gusto, who has a long-term objective.

“I would like to become a reference point as a right back,” he said.

“It is a target that attracts me, which I must attain.

“I would like also to be able to say I won this World Cup.

“To have played in another as well.”