What had long been anticipated has finally happened: Rayan Cherki has definitively chosen to play for the French national team at the senior level. Regarded by many as one of Lyon’s best players last season, and already attracting interest from Europe’s top clubs—including Pep Guardiola’s Manchester City—Cherki will soon don the jersey of Les Bleus.Comparing Cherki 24/25 to De Bruyne 19/20 and 24/25 on different per 90 metrics. pic.twitter.com/JXiieQRYpj— Sky Blue Times (@theskybluetimes) June 3, 2025 Under FIFA rules, Cherki was eligible to represent Algeria or Italy, since his father Fabrice is of both Algerian and Italian descent, while his mother is from Algeria. Born on August 17, 2003, in Lyon, Cherki has already played for France at the U16, U18, and U21 levels, suggesting for some time that he would ultimately represent France at senior level as well. However, in Algeria, his decision has sparked a wave of outrage among fans, who believe he should have opted to represent their national team. Cherki tried to clarify the situation, indirectly accusing officials from the Algerian Football Federation of not showing enough interest in convincing him to choose Algeria.”To be completely honest, I never had any official contact with the leadership of either the Algerian or Italian national teams. Before I began my professional career in 2019, my father had a chance to meet former Algeria head coach Djamel Belmadi through a mutual friend during a visit to Lyon. Since then, the only people I’ve spoken with are two or three players I personally know, and more recently, Paolo Rongoni, the fitness coach of the Algerian national team, whom I met in Lyon. But I’ve never spoken to the head coach or the president of the federation—no one from them has contacted me” Cherki told L’Equipe.Algeria’s hopes were in vain: Cherki is the FrenchmanThe French press recently reported that Rongoni—who worked at Lyon from 2019 to 2021—tried to reach out to Cherki and his camp. Reportedly, Rongoni was intended to be the liaison between Cherki and the Algerian national team and was expected to informally present an offer. Regardless, it seems that Cherki never seriously considered playing for anyone other than France. Meanwhile, reports from both French and German media are nearly identical in stating that Manchester City has already held talks with the Lyon playmaker, presenting him with a set of terms that appealed to him. The 22-year-old appears eager to work under Pep Guardiola. The only difference in reporting is that French outlets claim a final agreement between the player and the club has been reached, while German sources say a definitive “yes” is still pending. Either way, it looks like Cherki will play for France but move abroad in the upcoming transfer window.##NAJAVA_MECA_8963231##
