‘It’s a childhood dream’ – Jean-Philippe Mateta to give himself every chance of playing in the World Cup | OneFootball

Things haven’t been easy for Jean-Philippe Mateta (28) over the past few months. After being dealt a blow by the collapse of his move to AC Milan last winter, the Crystal Palace striker was then forced to step away from the pitch to recover from the knee injury that had prevented him from joining the Italian side.

A recovery period that notably forced him to miss France’s most recent squad call-up, due to a return schedule that was too tight, having hoped to rejoin the team after getting a taste of it last autumn.

But that hasn’t stopped Mateta from thinking about representing his country again this summer at the World Cup, as he says he is now back to 100% fitness. “I thought about it every day when I was injured and I’ll do everything I can to make it happen, by showing on the pitch that I’m ready, by working like a madman,” he told L’Équipe in an interview.

“It’s different from the 2024 Olympics, firstly because I really don’t have the same status in the squad, and secondly because it’s the gathering of the world’s best players. It’s a childhood dream, like saying to yourself, ‘I can score for the French national team’. Even for you, as a journalist, it’s something extraordinary, and everyone wants to be part of it, don’t they? So imagine as a player… If I can help the team, I’ll be the happiest person in the world.”

Having played in each of Crystal Palace’s last 10 matches since returning from injury, Mateta has used this opportunity to regain his confidence and return to scoring form. After finding the net against Fiorentina in the first leg of the Conference League quarter-finals, the Sevran-born player struck again a few days later, bagging a brace against Newcastle United.

A return to form that will doubtless not have gone unnoticed by Didier Deschamps, who, with Hugo Ekitike (23) ruled out of the World Cup, will have to make some tough choices. Mateta, who still has a few opportunities to prove himself, could well capitalise on this.

GFFN | Léo Aschi