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A member of the defensive ranks at La Liga giants Barcelona has been singled out for criticism for the level of his latest international showing.
The Blaugrana star in question comes in the form of Jules Koundé.
Koundé’s France were back in action on Thursday night, locking horns with the Ivory Coast in a warm-up friendly ahead of the World Cup.
The 27-year-old featured from the off in the matchup, from his customary berth at right-back.
En route to an eventual 2-1 defeat for France, however, Koundé endured a challenging evening. Up against the explosive Yan Diomande, the former Sevilla man struggled to keep the youngster quiet, whilst also failing to contribute much of note in the attacking third.
As per a report from **[Diario Sport](https://www.sport.es/es/noticias/barca/kounde-senalado-francia-131045540)**, such woes have since seen Koundé called into question by the French media once more leading into the World Cup.
This comes just days on from the defender admitting that his 2025/26 season with Barcelona, from an individual standpoint, was a largely underwhelming one.
Conor Laird – GSFN