Esteban Lepaul’s route back into the spotlight has taken him far beyond Lyon. At 26, the Rennes striker has earned his first France call-up, selected by Zinédine Zidane for the new coach’s inaugural squad after an emphatic start to the Ligue 1 season.
The move
Lepaul is among the new faces chosen by Zidane, who has opted for the Stade Rennais forward ahead of established international options Jean-Philippe Mateta and Marcus Thuram.
The call follows a prolific campaign in which Lepaul finished as Ligue 1’s leading scorer with 21 goals. He has carried that momentum into the current season, registering three times across the first four matchdays while producing a series of convincing displays for Rennes.
It is a significant milestone for a player who spent five years in Lyon’s academy, from 2015 to 2020, before building his senior career away from his formative club. Lepaul becomes another member of OL’s 2000 generation to reach the professional game after needing an exit from the Rhône to find regular opportunity and development.
The French season around it
Lepaul’s France selection comes with Rennes benefiting from the form of a striker who has quickly resumed the habits of last season’s golden-boot race. His early goals have made a strong case at a time when Zidane is shaping a new international group.
The former Lyon academy player is part of a wider group whose paths underline the difficulty of breaking through at a major French club, even for talents developed on its own training pitches.
- Pierre Kalulu left Lyon early for Italy, establishing himself first at AC Milan and then Juventus. The defender, already capped three times by France, has now been recalled by Zidane.
- Melvin Bard became an important player at Nice after his Lyon departure.
- Amine Gouiri played only 15 matches in three seasons with OL before finding greater attacking influence at Nice, Rennes and now Marseille.
- Georges Mikautadze made his name at Metz, returned to Lyon for the 2024 season, then left again a year later as OL sought to ease financial pressure.
- Maxence Caqueret was the sole player from that generation to establish himself fully at Lyon, making 184 appearances before joining Como in January 2025.
For Lepaul, the France shirt is the latest reward in a rise built outside Lyon. His goals for Rennes have now taken him from academy prospect to one of the central attacking choices in Zidane’s first squad.
