Saël Kumbedi France national team call-up, Digi Mart USA News: To replace Pierre Kalulu (Juventus), who withdrew through injury, Zinédine Zidane called up Saël Kumbedi, who plays in Germany’s 2. Bundesliga.
The selection symbolically highlights the thin pool of French options at right-back.
Kumbedi was linked with Olympique de Marseille during the last summer transfer window, but he remained at Wolfsburg, where his contract runs until June 2029. A starter in defense in the 2.
Bundesliga, he is a regular for the French Espoirs, and that run of form helped him make the leap to the senior team, aided by the absence of starter Jules Koundé (Barcelona), who is injured.
The significance of the surprise call-up lies less in his level, since the former Lyon player is not destined to remain in a secondary league for his entire career, than in the fact that he currently plays in the 2. Bundesliga, which is rare for a team as important as France.
Zidane’s choice appears to reflect the profiles of Kumbedi’s competitors, as well as the fact that young prospects have yet to confirm themselves at the highest level. The coach could have called up right-backs in good form but older, such as Jonathan Clauss (34), who has 3 goals and 2 assists in 10 matches this season with Nice.
There is also Lens’ Ruben Aguilar (33), who also has 3 goals this season, or Anthony Caci (29), who is performing well at Mainz. Former Paris Saint-Germain player Nordi Mukiele, who plays for Sunderland in the Premier League, is another option.
The case of Pablo Pagis illustrates the logic behind Zidane’s choices, in defense as well as in other positions. The former Real Madrid playmaker preferred the son of Mickaël Pagis, who has 2 goals and 2 assists for Paris FC and is younger at 23, over the highly productive Florian Thauvin (33), who has 7 goals and 9 assists in 15 matches for a struggling Lens side.
Younger right-backs could also have been considered, but the promising names have not yet confirmed themselves. Kiliann Sildillia (24), who started for France at the Paris Olympics, is now often a injured substitute at PSV Eindhoven.
Lorenz Assignon, formerly of Rennes, is 26 but has not progressed at Stuttgart. Sacha Boey (26) could have advanced at Bayern Munich but has stagnated there, with 69 minutes of play this season.
Versatile Mohamed Simakan (26) also chose to move away from the national team by signing in Saudi Arabia in 2025. Zidane therefore does not have a large selection at this position, and by favoring players in their preferred positions most of the time, the coach has ruled out Lenny Yoro (20), who plays centrally for Manchester United but can play on the flank, and Warren Zaïre-Emery (20), who plays right-back for PSG.
Both were called up for central defense and midfield, respectively.
Andy Diouf is the perfect counterexample, as the academy midfielder plays right wing-back for Inter and left-back for the French national team, a sign of the shortage on the left as well. However, Zidane clearly does not want to improvise at every position with a large number of players.
That is why Saël Kumbedi, an important defender for the Espoirs who plays in the 2. Bundesliga, has come into the spotlight after a last-minute withdrawal in the France squad.
