He is 17 years, eight months and ten days old, and against Gibraltar, Warren Zaire-Emery will write his name in the history book of the French football team on Saturday November 18. The young Paris Saint-Germain phenomenon was immediately lined up by coach Didier Deschamps to face the Rocher team in qualifying for Euro 2024, and will become the youngest to play for the Blues since the First World War .
Lined up in midfield alongside Adrien Rabiot and Antoine Griezmann, “WZE” erases Eduardo Camavinga’s previous record. So in Rennes, the Real Madrid player, who seriously injured his knee this week and will be absent for several months, was 17 years 9 months and 28 days old during his first selection against Croatia (4-2 victory) on September 8, 2020. The youngest remains Félix Vial, fielded at 17 years, 2 months and 15 days against Luxembourg on October 29, 1911. The player died at the front in 1915.
Born in 2006 and a precocious phenomenon – he has firmly established himself as a starter in the midfield of Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) despite competition filled with internationals – Warren Zaire-Emery never stops climb. The protégé of Thierry Henry, who entrusted him with the captain’s armband with the Espoirs, was called up to the Blues following sparkling performances at the club in recent weeks.
Double decisive passer against Milan in the Champions League then scorer against Brest and Montpellier in Ligue 1, the native of Montreuil (Seine-Saint-Denis) caught the eye of Didier Deschamps. Hardly inclined to praise players who have never yet been called up, the Blues coach nevertheless affirmed, during the Ballon d’Or ceremony, that the environment “pleased” him thanks to its “maturity” and “very high level performances”. . “Even if there is competition for his position, he has all the qualities to impose himself at a very high level,” he added last week at a press conference. Despite his young age, he has this ability to assume responsibilities. »
To the point, therefore, of being started for his first international match. Although he benefits from numerous injuries in midfield – notably Aurélien Tchouaméni and Eduardo Camavinga – the young Parisian earned his ticket in training for the France-Gibraltar match, played at the Allianz Riviera in Nice. And never stops bluffing his coaches and partners. “He’s my little brother’s age, it’s crazy! Even if I’m not old, it ages me a little,” laughed Kylian Mbappé – who is only 25 – on Friday at a press conference. Witness to the rise of “Titi” in club and now in Blues, the captain of the France team already feels like a veteran ahead of Warren Zaire-Emery. “Seeing him doing his homework is nonsense! The guy plays three times a week… He’s fascinating. »
If he scores a goal with the Blues on Saturday, WZE would not become the youngest scorer in history. Maurice Gastiger, who scored with the Blues in a victory against Switzerland in 1914 at the age of 17 years 5 months and 5 days is guaranteed to keep this record.
