Jules Kounde was born on 12 November 1998 and represents the France national football team. He started off his professional career at Bordeaux and then moved to Sevilla in the summer transfer window of 2019.

After a lot of speculation and linking up with multiple clubs, Kounde finally signed for La Liga club Barcelona for a transfer fee of €50 million. He prefers to play at the centre-back position but is quipped well to take the right-back position as well.

The 24-year-old is solid in ground duels and possesses strength and speed. Hence, he is a difficult defender to bypass. He made his national team debut for France in the delayed UEFA Nations League 2020 against Wales in June 2021.

Current form:

Although Kounde was sidelined for a couple of matches this season due to an injury, he never lost his position in the side. Hence, he has played 10 matches across all competitions. He also provided three assists.

World Cup record:

The 2022 event in Qatar will be his first ever participation in the FIFA World Cup.

Overall stats:

Kounde has one assist in 12 games for the French side. At club level, he has 13 goals and seven assists under his hat in 214 games.

What’s next for Jules Kounde?

No one can argue about Jules Kounde’s quality but he is unlikely to start games at the showpiece event. The French side are already blessed with world-class defenders. Given Kounde didn’t play continuously, boss Didier Deschamps will not risk playing him.

But as the tournament progresses, he might get match time. If any injury happens or the preferred defensive pair fails to deliver, his inclusion in the XI wouldn’t be a challenging thing to do.