He seems to have found a second youth. After several complicated seasons, marked in particular by physical problems and a lack of continuity, Christopher Nkunku has come back to life since his return to RB Leipzig. In an environment that he knows perfectly, the former Paris Saint-Germain player has rediscovered his feelings on the pitch. Again this Saturday, during Leipzig’s big success against Augsburg (5-2), the Frenchman stood out with a goal and an assist, confirming his current good form. With now 5 goals and 4 assists in just 11 games this season, Nkunku has established himself as one of the strong men of the German team.
And inevitably, this rebirth, a few hours after Zinédine Zidane’s Blues list, raises the question of his future in the France team. Christopher Nkunku has not worn the tricolor jersey since November 2025. Almost a year after his last call-up, the 28-year-old seems to have disappeared from the selection radars despite a profile which could offer possibilities to Zinédine Zidane. Capable of playing in support of an attacker, on one side or even in a more central role, Nkunku has arguments in the revival of the Zidane style. However, his name circulated very little when discussing the different options available to the coach after the cascade of injuries to the French internationals.
Nkunku, the big forgotten one from Zidane’s list?
Because when unveiling his second list at the head of the Blues, Zinédine Zidane could have revived the former Parisian. With the withdrawal of Maghnès Akliouche, injured at the last minute, the French coach finally preferred to offer a first call-up to Pablo Pagis, author of an excellent start to the season with Paris FC. A choice made by ZZ, who wanted to discover a different profile. But in the discussions around possible offensive innovations, the names of Eli Junior Kroupi and Mathys Tel were also mentioned a few days before the list. That of Christopher Nkunku, on the other hand, was not really mentioned.
Image generation in progress
The former Chelsea and AC Milan player has a few points to make going forward. With his 18 caps, his knowledge of the very high level and his ability to occupy several offensive positions, Nkunku could have represented an interesting option for Zidane, particularly in a group affected by several absences. The fact remains that the coach has chosen to favor the discovery of new faces rather than recalling a player already known to the Blues. He will therefore have to continue and gain even more regularity to relaunch the debate around his international future.
