Zidane Calls Up Second-Division Player Saël Kumbedi to France Squad
Zinédine Zidane names second-division player Saël Kumbedi to France squad: Zinédine Zidane names Saël Kumbedi, a Wolfsburg defender from Germany's second division, to the France squad as a replacement for injured Pierre Kalulu, a rare call-up for the national team in nearly 20 years.
Zinédine Zidane names second-division player Saël Kumbedi to France squad, Digi Mart USA News: French coach Zinédine Zidane, who has only been in charge of the Bleus for a few weeks, has made a notable selection on Monday, November 9, 2026, by calling up a player from Germany’s second division ahead of the team’s next gathering.
The call-up comes after Zidane announced a 23-player squad on Friday, November 6, for the final two UEFA Nations League matches against Italy and Turkey. Right-back Pierre Kalulu was then ruled out with a hamstring injury to his left leg, according to the French Football Federation.
To replace Kalulu, a Juventus defender, Zidane has selected Saël Kumbedi, a left-back at Wolfsburg, which plays in Germany’s second tier. The 21-year-old, who was previously with Le Havre and Olympique Lyonnais, has been at Wolfsburg since the summer of 2025.
Kumbedi has already progressed through France’s youth ranks. In 2022 he was part of the country’s UEFA European Under-17 Championship-winning team, and he has since earned several caps with the Espoirs.
He was also recently selected by Gérald Baticle for the France Under-21 squad, which faces Italy and England on November 13 and 16.
Wolfsburg, which won the German championship in 2009, finished 16th in the 2025-2026 regular season and lost a relegation playoff to Paderborn, dropping it to the second division. Kumbedi had joined the club while it was still in the top flight.
Selecting a second-division player is not unprecedented for France, but it is uncommon. The last such call-up came in 2007, when Raymond Domenech selected David Trézéguet and Jean-Alain Boumsong, then playing for Juventus, after the club was administratively relegated to Serie B.
No similar selection has been made since.
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