Rennes forward Esteban Lepaul reflected on his dream maiden France call-up under new manager Zinedine Zidane. The Ligue 1 top scorer detailed receiving passes from the icon in training and sitting through an inspiring national team history video.
Como goalkeeper Jean Butez became the oldest player to earn a maiden France call-up in half a century after replacing the injured Robin Risser. The 31-year-old received the surprise call from Zinedine Zidane before training under legendary goalkeeping coach Fabien Barthez.
Kylian Mbappe has been told he should “never talk about the Ballon d’Or”, with fellow World Cup winner Frank Leboeuf telling GOAL why the Real Madrid ‘Galactico’ is coming across as selfish when compared to in-form Barcelona star Raphinha. Mbappe has been talking up his claims to the most prestigious of Golden Balls, but is expected to miss out again in 2026.
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