They all crossed paths with Elyaz Zidane: the generation that appeals so much to France's manager

Zinédine Zidane has called up three players from the 2005–06 generation who all played youth football with his son Elyaz, signalling close attention to emerging talent.

Zinédine Zidane has made his first senior call-ups for Saël Kumbedi, Eli Junior Kroupi and Senny Mayulu, three players born in 2005–06 who share a common thread: all played youth international football alongside Elyaz Zidane, the France manager's son.

Kumbedi, who plays for Wolfsburg in Germany's second division, revealed that Zidane told him he had been tracking him since watching him play with Elyaz in youth age groups. "With Elyaz, we were together in U15, U17... I played quite a few age groups with him. The coach explained that he had been following me since those times," Kumbedi said.

Elyaz Zidane accumulated 45 youth caps from U17 to U20 between 2021 and 2024, and eight of the 23 players currently in the senior squad played alongside him at youth level. Kumbedi scored twice in the U17 Euro final victory over the Netherlands. The three new call-ups arrived as cover for injuries, with Kroupi replacing Marcus Thuram after the latter's late withdrawal.