Zidane unveils France squad with surprise Pablo Pagis call-up

Zinédine Zidane has justified not calling up Lucas Hernandez in his second squad list for the France national team, Foot Mercato reported, in a selection that also marked the return of Aurélien Tchouaméni and the surprise inclusion of Pablo Pagis ahead of the Nations League.

The report, published by Foot Mercato, did not specify the precise reason behind Hernandez’s omission, but confirmed that Zidane addressed the decision publicly after the list was unveiled. L’Équipe and France 24 both characterized the second list as one built on stability and the return of established heavyweight players, with Pagis the notable new name.

Hernandez’s omission explained in Zidane’s second list

Lucas Hernandez was among the absentees when Zidane named his second France squad, and the coach moved to justify the call, Foot Mercato reported. The outlet framed the decision as one of the defining talking points of the list, alongside the comeback of Tchouaméni, who returned to the Bleus setup.

Across the French reporting, the selection was described as measured rather than sweeping: L’Équipe noted the “stability and heavyweight returns” in the group, while Foot Mercato highlighted Pagis as the surprise name in Zidane’s list. No further detail on Hernandez’s fitness or standing with the national team appeared in the reports.

Tchouaméni back, Pagis the surprise name

Aurélien Tchouaméni’s return to the France squad was one of the headline moves in the second list, L’Équipe reported, with the midfielder back among the Bleus after his previous absence. Alongside him, Pablo Pagis earned a surprise call-up, a selection Foot Mercato singled out as the unexpected element of Zidane’s group.

The combination of returning established names and one new face gave the list its shape, according to France 24, which described a squad built on continuity. Pagis’s inclusion was the element that drew the most attention in the coverage, precisely because it broke from that pattern of returning players.

Zidane: “I am not satisfied” with a major gap before the Nations League

RMC Sport reported that Zidane was blunt about the state of his squad, saying, “I am not satisfied,” and pointing to what he described as a significant缺失 in the Bleus ahead of the Nations League. The comment came as the coach assessed his options following the selection of the second list.

The remark underlined that the call-ups — including Tchouaméni’s return — had not fully resolved the coach’s concern about an area of the team, RMC Sport reported. With the Nations League approaching, the squad list and Zidane’s comments set the immediate agenda for France, as attention turned to how the coach addresses the gap he flagged.

Questions readers are asking about Zidane’s France list

• Why was Lucas Hernandez not called up by France? Foot Mercato reported that Zinédine Zidane justified the non-selection in his second squad list, but the report did not give a specific reason for the omission.
• Who is Pablo Pagis? Pagis was the surprise inclusion in Zidane’s second France list, singled out by Foot Mercato as the unexpected new name among the call-ups.
• Which established players returned? L’Équipe reported that the list featured stability and heavyweight returns, with Aurélien Tchouaméni back in the Bleus squad.
• What did Zidane say about the squad? RMC Sport quoted Zidane saying, “I am not satisfied,” and reported that he pointed to a major缺失 in the team before the Nations League.

The immediate next checkpoint for France is the Nations League, where Zidane’s side will be tested after the coach publicly flagged his dissatisfaction with an area of the squad, RMC Sport reported.

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