Hugo Ekitike left out of latest France squad as his wait for senior debut under Didier Deschamps goes on

Despite scoring three goals in three games for Liverpool since signing for the club this summer, the 23-year-old has been omitted from the latest 23-man France squad by manager Didier Deschamps for their upcoming World Cup qualifiers.

Ekitike scored 22 goals for Eintracht Frankfurt last season, and after his fast start this term, many believed a France call-up was in order. But Deschamps favoured Monaco's Maghnes Akliouche for the first time, with the 23-year-old picked alongside Kylian Mbappe, Michael Olise, Ousmane Dembele, and more, in attack. If Ekitike continues to fire in the goals for Liverpool, his time with the national team will come.

Former Paris Saint-Germain youngster Ekitike, who stands at 6ft 3in tall, has been prolific for France's Under-21 team over the past year. The Reims-born striker has scored five goals in as many games for Les Espoirs.

While Ekitike will be focusing on trying to get on the scoresheet again when Liverpool host Arsenal in the Premier League on Sunday, France take on Ukraine and Iceland in their first set of 2026 World Cup qualifiers on September 5 and 9, respectively.