Pablo Pagis pre-selected for France's UEFA Nations League squad

Pablo Pagis has been included in the expanded France squad under new head coach Zinédine Zidane ahead of the next UEFA Nations League matches. The 23-year-old Paris FC player is being considered for games against Turkey on 25 September in Izmit and Belgium on 28 September in Brussels. His inclusion is not yet a final call-up, with Zidane due to announce the definitive squad on 18 September at 18:00.

Pagis is the latest Ligue 1 player to appear in the wider selection built for Zidane’s first list. His name follows those of Rennes forward Estéban Lepaul and Lens defender Ismaël Ganiou, while Andy Diouf has also been mentioned among the players considered. The emerging list points to a willingness to examine domestic options before the coach confirms the group for the Nations League fixtures.

Pagis arrived at Paris FC this summer after developing through Lorient. The reports place the transfer at €15 million, a figure that matches the value recorded in the sports database for the player at FC Lorient. The database lists Paris FC as his current club, France as his nationality and left winger as his position.

His route to the Paris FC move included two spells at Lorient and two at Nîmes Olympique. The recorded transfer history shows Nîmes and Lorient exchanges during the 2022/23 season, followed by moves between Stade Lavallois and Lorient during 2023/24. Lorient was where Pagis became more widely known before his move to the Paris club.

The forward’s last season at Lorient produced 10 goals and five assists. Those figures helped establish the attacking profile that has now brought him into consideration for France. He has been described as capable of playing close behind a striker or from a wide position, while his technical quality and reading of the game are central to his appeal.

Pagis’s database profile identifies him specifically as a left winger, although his recent role has also been associated with the number 10 position. That gives Zidane an option who can operate on the flank or move inside to support the main forward. The versatility is significant in a shortlist where the final places in attack will be contested before the 18 September announcement.

The possibility of representing France has been a stated ambition for Pagis. He said that playing for the national team is a dream for footballers and acknowledged that he still had substantial work and several stages ahead of him. He also said he did not want to make the objective an obsession or place extra pressure on himself, while admitting that watching France creates the desire to be involved.

Pagis now has a week to wait before learning whether the expanded selection becomes a first senior call-up. A final place would give the Paris FC winger an opportunity to join Zidane’s first France squad and compete for minutes in matches against Turkey and Belgium. For now, his presence on the shortlist marks a major step after his move from Lorient and his emergence as one of the new domestic names under consideration.