Zinedine Zidane was not the one making the headlines for long, but his squad decision opened the door for Eli Junior Kroupi in a way that fits the forward's rapid rise. The Bournemouth striker has received his first senior call-up to France, after Portugal had already made contact and Kroupi made his choice clear.

"Junior wanted to play for France and we respected it, it is a case we left closed,"

Roberto Martínez said to A Bola, after Portugal's interest was made public. Kroupi gave the same outlet the reasoning from his side too. "I have always played in the French youth teams. I was born in France, I started playing football in France, so I do not see myself going to a culture I do not know. As is obvious, the France national team is the goal," he said.

The detail that makes this call-up stand out is how little senior football he has played this season. Kroupi has only 47 Premier League minutes and 3 appearances for Bournemouth, plus 10 League Cup minutes. He also returned on 25 October in Bournemouth's 3-0 win over Manchester United, only managing a 3-minute cameo, which tells you how carefully he is being brought back.

Zidane's timing and Thuram's injury

Zinedine Zidane said Kroupi was already close to selection, but not quite ready before the recent injury layoff. "He is on the extended list, he could have come and been with us. The only issue is that he was injured for two to three months, it was still a little premature," he told A Bola, in comments translated from Portuguese.

That fits the squad opening created by Marcus Thuram's right hamstring problem last Sunday for Inter against Como. Zidane did not present Kroupi as a stopgap, though. The selection also reflects the fact that he had been on France's radar for a while, with 18 matches in the youth teams before this senior call.

France play Italy on 12 November and Türkiye on 15 November. Kroupi goes into that camp as a first-time senior international, with the choice already made and the place finally awarded.

Written by Jack Mercer with AI-assisted research, cross-checked against 3 outlets. How we work →