Excessive versatility? Warren Zaïre-Emery relegated to the Bleus' bench
For his big debut under the direction of Zinedine Zidane, Warren Zaïre-Emery remained on the bench during France's defeat, the Blues, in Italy (3‑1) at the San Siro, and could not take part in the game.
This fate he has known very frequently since his debut for the national team in 2023 contrasts with his versatility and a mindset warmly praised. Warren Zaïre-Emery, aged 20, has not lost his smile on the comfortable seats of the San Siro.
He was unavailable for the first gathering of Zinedine Zidane in September, which could have allowed him to celebrate his first selection under the 1998 Ballon d’Or. However, he remained on the bench for the entire match, as has become almost a habit.
Since his first cap in 2023, the Parisian has only amassed thirteen selections for thirty‑five match sheets. Apart from the September and October 2025 gatherings, he has always been called up by Didier Deschamps when he was not injured.
The former boss of the Blues has also very often relegated him to the role of substitute in a highly competitive area. Selected for Euro 2024, he did not play a single minute.
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During the last World Cup, he came on in the quarter‑final against Morocco (2‑0) when the result was already sealed, then played the placement match against England (6‑4) as a meagre consolation prize. Before the tournament, he even said he was ready to play as goalkeeper if it would give him playing time.
His very discreet personality, which does not make waves, can lead a manager to keep him on the bench. Brilliant in midfield, he also proved very reliable as a right‑back last season with PSG, covering the prolonged absence of Achraf Hakimi.
Tactical choices and opportunities
In the absence of Jules Koundé and Pierre Kalulu, he could have had his chance at this troubled position on Thursday in Italy. Zinedine Zidane, however, explained that he wanted to play him in midfield and preferred the specialist Malo Gusto.
Zidane said: “What I want him to do is to be himself. I like him a lot, he’s a young, talented player who wants to show something.” Zaïre‑Emery was PSG’s most used player in 2025‑2026 with 4 224 minutes, but he was denied the Champions League final by Luis Enrique, who flatly apologized for it.
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The Parisian coach stated: “I would like to highlight one thing: I was very unfair today with Warren as a coach. He deserved to play this final.” Zaïre‑Emery is not the first to go through gatherings without playing time; Mattéo Guendouzi accumulated fourteen selections in thirty‑seven match sheets over six years.
Ibrahima Konaté, for his part, has recorded thirty selections in fifty‑four match sheets. He would look favorably on the idea of testing the Bordeaux pitch on Sunday at 20:45 against Turkey.