France’s next big star still has to worry about school. Warren Zaire-Emery, 17, went about standard press duties following his first national team call-up. He discussed the pressures of playing for France, the responsibilities of leading Paris Saint-Germain’s midfield at just 17, and his burgeoning relationship with Thierry Henry. He also explained, in some depth, his study schedule. As it turns out, the potential next star of France’s midfield couldn’t celebrate his first national team nod – he had homework to finish.
His comments, if nothing else, prove that this is a very young man, handed a significant responsibility. Zaire-Emery has been pipped as a top talent for some time now. The classic anecdotes are all there; he supposedly had a miraculous first touch as a child, and he impressed youth coaches so much that he was playing with the Under-11s at the age of seven.
He is revered for his versatility, dedication to his craft and work rate, and could, quite comfortably, be a No.6, No.8 or No.10. Any of this sound familiar to an audience of an English footballing persuasion?
The Jude Bellingham comparison is a precarious one. Although the versatility shared between the two is remarkably similar, the skillsets at play here are radically different. Zaire-Emery is younger, more technical, and smaller than Bellingham. But, like the English midfielder, he could be the key piece to take his side to new heights.
Living up to the promise
PSG have, over the last 20 years, developed some of the best talent in Europe. But holding on to them has been a real challenge in Paris. Historically, managers have been reluctant to integrate young players into the first team, instead opting for expensive big-name signings ahead of promising talent. Owners Qatari Sports Investment – whose general attitude towards football starts and ends with money – have only made things worse.
Zaire-Emery is the latest of the production line, and they might just hold onto him, too. Former manager Christophe Galtier used him sparingly last season, handing the then-16-year-old 26 Ligue 1 appearances, and a Champions League last-16 start against Bayern Munich. The results were admittedly mixed. Zaire-Emery impressed when handed a midfield role, but was too often forced into a right wing-back position due to the manager’s misshapen formation that tried, unsuccessfully, to accommodate Neymar, Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe.
In centre-midfield, though, he was masterful at times. He bagged a crucial third goal against Montpellier in the spring, a strike that saw the Parisians pull away in the title race for good. He was even more impressive a few weeks later, this time deployed as a defensive midfielder in a 4-2 win over Nantes — holding down an area of the pitch where his side had lacked composure. Even against Bayern, he managed to rein in the lively Kingsley Coman. These aren’t things that normal 16-year-olds do.
‘Zaire-Emery is a diamond’
Zaire-Emery has only developed since then. He assisted the Parisians’ first goal from open play of the 2023-24 season – a classic piece of centre-midfield play, darting through the centre of the pitch, receiving a pass in stride, before flicking the ball to Marco Asensio who provided a classy finish. He delivered an equally impactful attacking showing a month after, setting up two of the Parisians’ three goals in a drubbing of Milan in the Champions League. Throw in a pair of goals — one of which was an impressive piece of skill and 20-yard strike into the top corner — and you have something approaching a complete attacking midfielder.
Still, it is not in the contributions in the final third where Zaire-Emery’s value is truly found; the teenager is at his best when among the action in the middle of the park. He does all of the classic centre-midfielder things: tackles, intercepts, moves the ball, covers ground. But his true value is what happens when he gets on the ball.
These things are hard to quantify. There aren’t any awards for pass completion percentage (91 percent, in the 98th percentile among all midfielders), progressive ball carries (2.37 per 90 minutes, in the 87th percentile among all midfielders), or short passes completed (just over 30 per game, in the 90th percentile). Rather, they’re small snapshots of what a manager can see overall. Zaire-Emery not only wins the ball back, but is both efficient and adventurous when he has it. He has done this all while starting 14 of 15 matches, and playing all 90 minutes in 11 of them. This is a young midfielder, playing with the smarts of an older one, and doing so every week, at a gruelling pace.
Or, in his manager’s words:: “Warren is a diamond.”
‘I wanted to see what he is made of’
It was never going to take long before France’s national team setup turned their eyes towards him. Zaire-Emery had been a fixture of the youth setups from a young age, and announced himself to the world in full during the U17 Euros in June 2022 — a standout tournament highlighted by a star showing in the semi-final as France beat a tricky Portugal side.
Henry was among the first to offer Zaire-Emery consideration at the higher levels of youth football. In his first France U21 squad, Henry picked Zaire-Emery, anointed him captain, and made him the centre of a side that rolled through four opponents over the past two international breaks.
“I wanted to see what he is made of,” Henry declared after handing Zaire-Emery the armband — making him the youngest skipper in U21 history in the process.
And Zaire-Emery responded in full. He starred in his first game as captain, pulling the strings from central midfield in a 4-1 win over Denmark. He was equally impactful against Slovenia a few days later, and led a comeback victory in a clash with Bosnia on October 13. If there was any pressure that came with captaining his country, the 17-year-old certainly didn’t feel it.
“The sky’s the limit. I have never seen a player that young being so mature… It is rare to see such a young player in that position,” Henry added.
Is Zaire-Emery the next Bellingham?
There is no history between Bellingham and Zaire-Emery — outside of the rather fanciful rumour that the Parisians chose not to sign Bellingham due to their belief that it would block the teenager’s path into the first team. Add to the fact that Bellingham is three years older, and admittedly further along in his development, and this isn’t really a conversation of comparison.
But if it is a discussion about impact, and the injection of quality that a young star can bring, then they are near-identical. Bellingham, at 20, is the midfield presence that England haven’t had in years, the goalscorer from the centre of the park that could lift the Three Lions to new heights. Not since Steven Gerrard or Frank Lampard — never both at the same time, so we were told — have England had such a dominant player making fearless runs from the middle and affecting play in the final third.
Zaire-Emery, meanwhile, is the maestro that France need. Les Bleus’ midfield, of late, is a bruising, aggressive thing, lacking in a technical mastermind. Aurelien Tchouameni, Eduardo Camavinga and, to an extent, Adrien Rabiot are all excellent footballers. And while each has their own quality — Tchouameni the enforcer, Camavinga the scrapper, Rabiot the misfit who has fallen upwards into a World Cup-winning side — none have the kind of technical ability that PSG’s young star possesses.
Luis Enrique, a perennial proponent of young talent, pointed out that he would have called Zaire-Emery up to the Spain squad if he was still manager. Meanwhile, Didier Deschamps has never been shy about giving youth a chance — something he showed in handing Camavinga his debut at 17 years old. Everything points towards a debut, and, if he lives up to his potential, a run in the side.
The right time for Zaire-Emery to start
There is, admittedly, a distinction to be made here; France have already qualified for Euro 2024, and although Deschamps has named a strong squad, he will certainly rotate to some degree. The manager insisted in a press conference that Zaire-Emery is good enough to be handed the chance under any situation, but there is certainly less pressure in the next two games.
Good vibes appearances for 17-year-olds, then, are acceptable when the stakes are low. But it is another thing entirely to become a central part of a team. Gareth Southgate did a similar thing with Bellingham. The youngster was perhaps good enough to make the first team as early as the pandemic-delayed Euro 2020. Instead, he was held back. Zaire-Emery, youth and all, might just face that same fate.
However, in this case, there’s a real need for him. Injuries to Tchouameni and Camavinga have limited Les Bleus in the middle of the park. For now, he is essentially a body to offer cover — mostly because France have no other options. It is, in effect, the perfect time to bed into the side.
Rabiot out, Zaire-Emery in, and France can go far…
But long-term, things look murkier. Generally, Deschamps likes to play with three midfielders; Antoine Griezmann is the undisputed No.10, who, having played 81 matches in a row quite literally never misses a game. Tchouameni, meanwhile, should have the No.6 role nailed down. The third, though, is up for grabs. It’s a spot currently occupied by some rotation of either Camavinga or Rabiot. But with Camavinga proving himself at left-back, it could well be a contest between Zaire-Emery and his older, man-bunned, middling counterpart. Rabiot is something of a polarising figure. He spends a lot of time looking like he is very good at football — the flicks, tricks and silky swivels of hips are all there — without being particularly effective. There aren’t many weak links in this team. He is certainly one of them.
Zaire-Emery is perhaps a good enough footballer to dislodge him this week. He would immediately offer the kind of composure and solidity in the middle third that France lack. Deschamps, a World Cup-winning former player and current manager, knows this. But that is not how these things work. Deschamps’ puzzling loyalty to Rabiot is clearly founded in something, and international management — like perhaps no other coaching role in sport — is built on trust in individual players built over time.
So, the onus falls on Zaire-Emery to chip away; a solid performance here, a goal there. Run around a lot, do the things he’s good at, and the teenager might do enough to break the line-up when the games really count at the Euros next summer. And if he gets that far, his impact could be immense.
