Ethan Mbappé between France U21, senior team and Cameroon temptation

Ethan Mbappé made his first appearances in a France U21 shirt during the last international window, coming on as a substitute against Iceland and Estonia in the qualifying rounds for the next European Under-21 Championship, before being sidelined by injury.

Arriving at Lille in 2024 from PSG, the left-footed 19-year-old midfielder has gradually established himself in the north under Bruno Genesio, then Davide Ancelotti, playing as a right midfielder. Despite recurring physical problems since his arrival, the Montreuil native has managed to work his way into the U21 squad. His short-term objective is to increase his appearances with Lille — whether as a starter or substitute — before targeting the European Championship in his age group.

But Ethan Mbappé’s international future is far from settled. The Cameroon Football Federation is actively interested in the player: his father, Wilfrid Mbappé, was born in Cameroon, which opens the door to the Indomitable Lions. His mother, Fayza Lamari, is a French woman of Algerian descent, theoretically giving him a third option. Kylian Mbappé has already publicly mentioned that the siblings grew up more with their father’s Cameroonian culture.

A choice in favour of Cameroon would represent a considerable sporting and symbolic coup for the national team, which already counts Carlos Baleba, Danny Namaso and Bryan Mbeumo in its ranks. Other players developed in France are also in the sights of the Indomitable Lions: U21 international Valentin Atangana (Al-Ahli), 19-year-old striker Quentin Ndjantou, developed at PSG, and Lucien Agoumé, 24, developed at Sochaux and a pillar of the France U21 squad from 2023 to 2025, now at Sevilla FC.

Ethan Mbappé still has several years to make his choice. His progress at Lille and his fitness will be decisive in the options available to him.