Return! N'Golo Kanté included in France squad for upcoming matches

Deschamps is putting his trust in the midfielder despite his age.

Details: Today, the official France national team squad for the upcoming matches against Ukraine and Azerbaijan was announced, with a spot for 34-year-old Al-Ittihad defensive midfielder N'Golo Kanté.

This is Kanté’s first call-up to the national team in quite some time, as his last appearance for Les Bleus came in November 2024 during a Nations League match against Israel, where he captained the squad.

• See also: Shakhtar vs Breidablik. H2H, prediction and probable line-ups — November 6, 2025

Kanté made his debut for France in 2016 and has since earned 64 caps, scoring 2 goals and providing 2 assists.

Kanté was one of Didier Deschamps’ key players during the triumphant 2018 World Cup campaign.

Currently, Kanté plays for Saudi club Al-Ittihad, having joined from Chelsea as a free agent in 2023. His contract with the Saudi side runs until the summer of 2026.

Reminder: A good deed! N'Golo Kanté donates €5 million to build a hospital for those in need