Jules Koundé
#5 · Defender · age 27
95
WC26 rating
- Recent form
- 89
- Career peak
- 92
- League level
- 90
- Competition pedigree
- 98
- International pedigree
- 84
- Longevity
- 72
Independent rating — league strength (Opta-anchored) × competition tier × position-normalized output. Not affiliated with EA or FIFA.
Career by season
Source: transfermarkt · fetched 2026-05-29
Koundé is the modern hybrid full-back distilled — quick enough to defend a one-on-one in space, comfortable enough on the ball to invert into a back-three pivot, and reliable enough that Deschamps trusts him on either side of the defence at need. He has effectively been France’s first-choice right-back since 2022 despite playing centre-back through most of his Barcelona career.
The tournament setup suits him. France will see attacking right-wingers from Senegal (Sarr) and Norway (Nusa) in group play, and probably another in the knockouts. Koundé has now spent two seasons defending Vinicius and Yamal in the Spanish league; few opposite numbers will worry him.
Strengths
- Hybrid right-back/centre-back versatility within a single match
- 1v1 defending against pacey wingers
- Inverted positioning to overload midfield in build-up
Recent form
Barcelona's first-choice right-back through a treble-winning 2024-25 season.
Scored the winner in Barcelona's 2024-25 Copa del Rey final and assisted Mbappé's opening goal in their Champions League final.