Former Leicester City striker Jamie Vardy has revealed that French midfielder N’Golo Kanté initially wanted to represent Mali at international level before eventually choosing France.
According to Vardy, Kanté’s original intention was to play for Mali because of his family background and his connection to his late father. However, his Leicester City teammates convinced him to reconsider and pursue a career with the French national team.
Speaking about the period when Kanté was making the decision, Vardy said the midfielder had a strong desire to honour his Malian roots.
“Originally, he did not want to play for France! He wanted to represent Mali for his dad,” Vardy was quoted as saying.
The former England international explained that teammates at Leicester encouraged Kanté to choose France because they believed he had the ability to become a key player for one of the world’s strongest football nations.
“At the training ground we said to him: ‘What …, what are you thinking? France will WIN [World Cup]! Go join France!’” Vardy added.
Kanté eventually accepted the opportunity to represent France and went on to become one of the most important players in the country’s football history.
After making his international debut in 2016, Kanté played a major role in France’s success at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, where he was a key member of the squad that defeated Croatia in the final to win the trophy for the second time in the nation’s history.
Despite choosing France, Kanté has maintained links to his African heritage. Born in Paris to Malian parents, he has often spoken respectfully about his family origins and the influence of his background on his life and career.
