Pre-selected by Zidane, Lepaul receives unexpected praise from Papin

Esteban Lepaul is on the verge of taking another step forward. Zinédine Zidane, appointed France manager, will announce his first squad on Friday, September 18, ahead of four Ligue des Nations matches: in Turkey on September 25, in Belgium on September 28, then at home against Italy on October 2 and again against Belgium on October 5 at Stade de France.

To prepare for this announcement, forty to fifty players have been invited to stand by. Among them are Lens defender Ismaëlo Ganiou, Inter midfielder Andy Diouf and Paris FC forward Pablo Pagis. Lepaul, however, appears best positioned to secure his place: Ligue 1’s top scorer in the previous season, the Rennes striker has already scored three goals in the early stages of the 2026-2027 season.

Papin’s endorsement carries considerable weight. The 1991 Ballon d’Or winner offered a flattering comparison on RMC: “In terms of number 9s today, I only put Ferran Torres ahead of him. Ferran Torres has the experience of big clubs, big matches. He’s a true number 9. Lepaul is in a somewhat retro style and I like that, I think it’s missing today because teams play differently.”

Jean-Pierre Papin continued by highlighting the rarity of the profile: “We prefer to go fast with several players who score goals rather than have a specific number 9, which I understand. But I like Lepaul’s style, the way he plays, even if he needs to progress. He’s just arrived in the top division, but finishing his first season as top scorer and starting this one with three goals… It reminds me of Steve Savidan.”

The comparison with Savidan, a late revelation in Ligue 1 who became a French international, sums up Lepaul’s singular trajectory: an old-school penalty-box striker, effective from his debut in the elite, and now in the sights of the new national team manager.