Crystal Palace forward Jean-Philippe Mateta has been rewarded for his strong form in the Premier League with a first-ever call-up to the French senior national team.
Head coach Didier Deschamps named the 28-year-old striker in his squad for France’s upcoming World Cup qualifying matches against Azerbaijan and Iceland this October.
Mateta’s Impressive Club Form
Mateta has been one of Crystal Palace’s standout performers this season, scoring four goals in 10 appearances across all competitions. Palace remain unbeaten in the Premier League and currently sit third in the table, with the French striker playing a key role in their success.
Last season, he scored 17 goals in all competitions for the South London club, and since the start of the 2023/24 campaign, he has netted 32 Premier League goals.
From Youth Star to Senior Breakthrough
Mateta has represented France at Under-21 level and also shone at the 2024 Paris Olympics, where he scored five goals in six matches to help Thierry Henry’s team claim the silver medal. Despite his success at youth levels, this is his first senior team selection by Deschamps.
Speaking on Mateta’s inclusion, Deschamps said:
“I like his profile. He is not so young but he played for almost all of the different teams at youth level. He has the ability to score goals.”
Injuries Open the Door
Mateta’s call-up comes as France deal with injuries to key attacking players. Ousmane Dembele and Desire Doue of Paris Saint-Germain, as well as Marcus Thuram of Inter Milan, are all unavailable. Rayan Cherki of Manchester City also misses out through injury.
This has allowed opportunities for forwards such as Christopher Nkunku (AC Milan), Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool), and Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco) to feature in the squad.
Midfield Reinforcements
In midfield, the suspension of Aurelien Tchouameni has opened the door for the return of his Real Madrid teammate Eduardo Camavinga, who last played for France in March.
France’s Qualification Path
France, who won the 2018 World Cup and finished runners-up in 2022, lead Group D with six points after victories over Ukraine and Iceland last month.
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They face Azerbaijan in Paris on Friday, October 10.
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Three days later, they travel to Iceland.
Two more wins could be enough to secure their qualification with games to spare, depending on other results in the group.
Full France Squad for October 2025 World Cup Qualifiers
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Paris Saint-Germain), Mike Maignan (AC Milan/ITA), Brice Samba (Rennes)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Aston Villa/ENG), Malo Gusto (Chelsea/ENG), Lucas Hernandez (Paris Saint-Germain), Theo Hernandez (Al Hilal/KSA), Ibrahima Konate (Liverpool/ENG), Jules Kounde (Barcelona/ESP), William Saliba (Arsenal/ENG), Dayot Upamecano (Bayern Munich/GER)
Midfielders: Eduardo Camavinga (Real Madrid/ESP), Manu Kone (Roma/ITA), Michael Olise (Bayern Munich/GER), Adrien Rabiot (AC Milan/ITA), Khephren Thuram (Juventus/ITA)
Forwards: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Kingsley Coman (Al-Nassr/KSA), Hugo Ekitike (Liverpool/ENG), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace/ENG), Kylian Mbappe (Real Madrid/ESP), Christopher Nkunku (AC Milan/ITA)
