Esteban Lepaul divides Dugarry and Papin over France call-up

Esteban Lepaul has entered the discussion for France’s next squad after receiving a pre-call-up from new head coach Zinédine Zidane. The 26-year-old Stade Rennais forward could therefore be included in the group announced on 18 September for the gathering later this month, although former internationals Christophe Dugarry and Jean-Pierre Papin disagree over whether he is ready.

Lepaul is a French centre-forward who joined Rennes from Angers SCO during the 2025-26 season. His case is supported by his recent output: he scored 21 goals to finish as Ligue 1’s leading scorer last season and has opened the new campaign with three goals in three matches.

Dugarry believes an international debut could come too soon. He considers Lepaul’s progress encouraging but feels the striker still needs greater maturity before moving into an environment where expectations and scrutiny would increase. In his view, the player remains promising rather than fully prepared for that step.

Papin takes the opposite position, calling the pre-selection deserved and arguing that it reflects Lepaul’s quality. The 1993 Ballon d’Or winner values his traditional No. 9 profile, which he says is less common in modern football. Papin places only Ferran Torres ahead of Lepaul among the forwards he compares, citing the Spaniard’s experience in major matches, while also acknowledging that Lepaul still has room to develop.