Zidane leaves Kolo Muani out of first squad, backs Lepaul in attack

Zinédine Zidane is about to unveil his first squad as France manager for the September matches, and Randal Kolo Muani will not be part of it. Absent from the French group at the 2026 World Cup, the 27-year-old striker is expected to see Estéban Lepaul preferred over him.

Kolo Muani’s journey with the Blues illustrates a striking reversal of fortune. He burst onto the scene at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar — where he was called up as an emergency replacement for Christopher Nkunku, who was ruled out through injury — and seized his chance so well that he secured a transfer to Paris Saint-Germain for around 90 million euros shortly after.

But under Luis Enrique’s management, the French international never managed to establish himself permanently in the capital. Two successive loans followed: first to Juventus between January and July 2025, then to Tottenham for the entirety of last season. This summer, the Paris chapter closed definitively with a permanent transfer to Juventus, valued at around 40 million euros.

When questioned by Tuttosport in mid-August, Kolo Muani paid tribute to Didier Deschamps while expressing his ambitions under Zidane. “It’s an honour that Zidane was chosen, but we mustn’t forget Deschamps’ work. He was the one who gave me my first chance,” he said, before adding: “With Zidane, we’ll see how it goes. For now, I’m focused on Juve, I’m trying to score goals and put in good performances.”

The answer appears to be negative for now. According to available information, Zidane would prefer Estéban Lepaul for this international break. To reverse the trend, Kolo Muani will first need to rediscover consistency and effectiveness in the Juventus shirt.