Diouf in contention for first France call-up under Zidane
Quick summary
A resurgent player known as Diouf is reportedly in line for a first senior cap for France under newly appointed manager Zinedine Zidane.
Full article
Attributed to original sourceThursday’s reports claim that newly re-positioned Inter wing-back Andy Diouf is in contention to earn his first call-up to the France national team squad under Zinedine Zidane for the September-October international breaks after an encouraging start to the 2026-27 season with the Nerazzurri.
Diouf included in preliminary France squad ahead of September-October break Diouf, 23, joined Inter from Lens as in a €25m deal last summer, but had to be patient for his opportunities in Cristian Chivu’s midfield amidst stiff competition from the likes of Nicolo Barella, Hakan Calhanoglu, Piotr Zielinski, Petar Sucic and Henrikh Mkhitaryan last season.
MILAN, ITALY – DECEMBER 03: Andy Diouf of FC Internazionale Milano scores his team’s first goal during the Coppa Italia round of 16 match between FC Internazionale and Venezia FC at San Siro Stadium on December 03, 2025 in Milan, Italy. (Photo by Marco Luzzani/Getty Images) In the end, Diouf made 19 appearances in Serie A last season, but only four in the starting XI.
It has been an entirely different story for Diouf at the beginning of the 2026-27 campaign after being converted to a new role as a right wing-back in Chivu’s 3-5-2.
Despite the loss of Denzel Dumfries to Real Madrid over the summer and the subsequent signing of Djed Spence from Tottenham, Diouf has made the right wing-back role his own over the last few weeks and has already provided two assists from his first two Serie A appearances of the season.
He also played the full 90 minutes against Real Madrid in Inter’s first Champions League match of the 2026-27 campaign earlier this week.
MADRID, SPAIN – SEPTEMBER 08: Andy Diouf of Internazionale is challenged by Marc Cucurella of Real Madrid during the UEFA Champions League 2026/27 League Phase MD1 match between Real Madrid C.F. and FC Internazionale Milano at Estadio Santiago Bernabeu on September 08, 2026 in Madrid, Spain. (Photo by Denis Doyle/Getty Images) His performances have already caught the eye of France national team head coach Zidane, who has included Diouf on his preliminary squad list ahead of the September-October international break according to reports from RMC Sport .
If Diouf makes the final cut, it will be his first ever call-up to the senior France national team. He represented the France Olympic side under Thierry Henry at the 2024 home games in Paris and had previously been a regular with the France U21, U20 and U19 sides.
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What happened
A player surnamed Diouf, reportedly enjoying a career renaissance, has emerged as a candidate for a maiden call-up to the France national team. With Zinedine Zidane now at the helm of Les Bleus, the manager appears open to handing opportunities to in-form players. The potential selection would mark a significant milestone in Diouf's career after a period of reinvention, and reflects Zidane's willingness to refresh his squad pool. No official squad announcement has yet been made.
Chance analysis
Zidane's early tenure as France head coach is already shaping up to feature selection surprises, and a reborn Diouf fitting into that picture underlines the new manager's preference for form over reputation. For the player, a first senior cap would cap a personal revival story and signal his arrival back onto the international stage. For France, broadening the pool gives Zidane more tactical flexibility heading into the next international window.
Diouf gains a realistic path to his first France cap, while Zidane signals a meritocratic approach to squad selection in his early tenure.