In recent decades, France have benefited from a long list of players with African roots — including Kylian Mbappe himself. However, this time the situation has flipped, as Senegal have selected two promising Ligue 1 talents to strengthen their squad for the upcoming Africa Cup of Nations.
This week, head coach Pape Thiaw announced his squad for the November international break, during which Senegal will face Brazil and Kenya in friendlies as preparation for the continental tournament kicking off on December 21 in Morocco.
Ibrahim Mbaye is one of the biggest surprises on the list. The 17-year-old forward has impressed over the past two seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, where he was part of the Ligue 1 and UEFA Champions League–winning team. Against all odds, he has chosen to represent Senegal instead of France.
In fact, Mbaye had been preselected to play for France at the FIFA U-20 World Cup 2025, held earlier this year in Chile. Ultimately, he was left out of the final squad, reportedly opting to stay with PSG to earn a bigger role under coach Luis Enrique. Without the forward — as well as other young stars such as Desire Doue — France were eliminated in the semifinals by Morocco.
Ibrahim Mbaye of Paris Saint-Germain.
The other Ligue 1 star called up by Senegal
Ibrahim Mbaye is not the only Ligue 1 standout who could have represented France but instead chose Senegal for his international career. Also included in coach Thiaw’s squad for the November international break is Mamadou Sarr.
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The 20-year-old center back was born in France and is the son of former Senegalese star Pape Sarr. Mamadou began his career with Olympique Lyonnais in 2023 but truly broke out with RC Strasbourg last season. That rise earned him a transfer to Chelsea this summer, although he will remain in Ligue 1 until the end of the campaign.
Like Mbaye, Sarr was eligible to represent France by birth — and he did so at youth level, serving as captain of the France U-17 team and competing in the 2022 UEFA European Under-17 Championship in Israel. Now, at senior level, he has committed to Senegal, following in his father’s footsteps.
FIFA rules on international representation
The issue of players switching national teams during their careers has undergone numerous regulatory changes over the past century. FIFA has gradually tightened restrictions, though in recent years it has introduced exceptions to account for unique cases, especially given today’s significant global migration.
Currently, a player can represent one nation at youth level and another at senior level, provided they have legitimate ties to that country — whether through a parent’s or grandparent’s nationality, or long-term residency.
At the senior level, dual representation remains possible in limited circumstances. Friendly matches do not permanently tie a player to a national team, and in some cases, even official matches allow flexibility under strict conditions.
If a player takes part in up to three official matches for a national team before turning 21, they may later switch allegiance, as long as at least three years have passed since their last appearance. However, if they play in a FIFA World Cup or a major continental tournament such as the UEFA European Championship or Copa America, they become permanently tied to that national team.
