Portugal made a formal approach for Bournemouth forward Eli Junior Kroupi ahead of the 2026 World Cup, but the 19-year-old chose to stay with the French setup after early contact with Roberto Martinez’s staff. Martinez said Portugal had spoken with Kroupi before the March training camp, then closed the case when the youngster made his preference clear.
“Yes, there was interest, we stayed ahead of the news. Before the March training camp we had contact - it is important to follow players who can represent the Portugal national team and those who want to represent - Junior wanted to play for France and we respected it, it is a case that we left closed,” Martinez said. The approach mattered because Portugal are shaping a 27-man provisional squad for a tournament they will open against DR Congo on June 17, and Kroupi was one of the young forwards under consideration.
Kroupi’s choice was also a reminder of how many routes he had. He was eligible for Ivory Coast through his father and for Portugal through his mother and grandmother, but he has already represented France at youth levels and scored 15 goals across those age groups. For Portugal, the answer was no. For France, it was a player they have already invested in.
Bournemouth, meanwhile, have reasons to be firm of their own. The club signed Kroupi in a permanent €15 million transfer, and sporting director Tiago Pinto has said they would not sell him for €100m. That stance looks stronger after a season in which Kroupi has scored 12 goals in 31 Premier League appearances and added two more in domestic cup competitions.
The tension in all of this is simple: Portugal wanted to keep the door open on a teenager with goals and dual eligibility, but Kroupi has already chosen one path and Bournemouth are treating him as a long-term asset rather than a saleable headline. If he keeps scoring at this rate, the question will not be whether a national team wants him. It will be how many can still afford to wait.
