The last few weeks have been full of good news for Éli Junior Kroupi! On 26 October, at the Ballon d’Or ceremony in London, the Bournemouth striker learnt he had finished eighth in the Young Talent of the Year award. Having been awarded one point each by Rodri (2024 Ballon d’Or) and Igor Belanov (1986 Ballon d’Or) in a vote by former Ballon d’Or winners, the striker learnt on Tuesday that he had earned his first call-up to the French national team.

Following Marcus Thuram’s hamstring injury, the 20-year-old has been called up by Zinédine Zidane, the 1998 Ballon d’Or-winner and new manager of Les Bleus. As part of the Nations League, France will face Italy in Milan on Thursday evening, before hosting Turkey on Sunday in Bordeaux. This presents an opportunity for the Lorient-born forward, who scored 16 goals in all competitions last season, to prove himself on the international stage.