France: who is Eli Junior Kroupi, Zidane's new call-up for the Bleus?

Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi, 20, called up to France squad for Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey after Marcus Thuram withdrew.

Zinédine Zidane has selected Eli Junior Kroupi for France's upcoming Nations League fixtures against Italy and Turkey, rewarding the Bournemouth attacker's strong performances in the Premier League. The 20-year-old replaces Marcus Thuram, who withdrew due to a right hamstring injury sustained in Serie A.

Kroupi, son of former professional Eli Kroupi who played for Ivory Coast, was born in Côte d'Ivoire but moved to France before adulthood. He chose to represent France despite approaches from both Portugal (his mother's country) and Ivory Coast (his father's nation).

Portugal manager Roberto Martinez had attempted to persuade him to switch allegiance ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but Kroupi remained committed to the Bleus.

The attacker was recently recovering from a foot injury sustained in late July but has already made an impact at Bournemouth, providing an assist in under 50 minutes of cumulative playing time since his return on 25 October. Last season he scored 13 goals in 35 appearances across all competitions, including six against Premier League's top six clubs.