Cherki teases Ethan Mbappé over brother Kylian's Nike-ON switch after first U21 cap

Ethan Mbappé made his debut for France’s U21 team on Friday evening, entering the pitch in the 67th minute against Iceland in Euro 2027 qualifying. The match ended in a 1-1 draw, with the young Lille midfielder unable to make a decisive impact on the result for the French youth side.

Proud of his first cap, Ethan Mbappé shared several photos in the French national team jersey on his Instagram account. Reactions from his close circle and teammates were quick to arrive — including an unexpected one from Rayan Cherki. The Manchester City number 10 chose to tease rather than congratulate: “You’re not with ON?” he wrote in the comments, a direct reference to Kylian Mbappé’s brand-new partnership with Swiss sportswear brand ON.

Cherki’s jab echoes one of the most striking ruptures in recent sports sponsorship: after nearly twenty years of collaboration with Nike, the France captain switched to ON, a brand initially specializing in running. By securing Kylian Mbappé’s services, ON is clearly signaling its ambition to establish itself in the football world.

For the 18-year-old Ethan, this first U21 call-up comes as part of an encouraging start to the season with LOSC. A substitute at kick-off against Iceland, he had less than thirty minutes to make an impression — insufficient to leave a mark on the pitch, but enough to fuel social media exchanges.