Eli Junior Kroupi, the 19-year-old Bournemouth forward, has turned down a formal approach from Portugal and elected to remain with the French setup, the Portuguese coach Roberto Martinez confirmed while unveiling his 27-man provisional squad for the 2026 World Cup.
Martinez told Portuguese outlet A Bola that Portugal had reached out to Kroupi's camp before the March training camp. "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 raw numbers explain why both countries were watching him. Kroupi has scored 12 goals in 31 Premier League appearances this season and added two more in domestic cup competitions. He has a prolific youth record for France, with 15 goals across various age groups, and Bournemouth signed him in a permanent transfer worth €15 million earlier this year.
That transfer and this season's form have pushed his profile sharply upward. Bournemouth sporting director Tiago Pinto has said the club would not sell Kroupi for €100m, a figure the club framed in sterling and dollars as £87m and $116m. Portugal’s approach therefore met a player whose market value and international allegiance have both risen fast.
The background is straightforward: Kroupi is eligible to represent Ivory Coast through his father and Portugal through his mother and grandmother, but he has represented France heavily at youth levels and chose to continue on that path. Martinez’s public acknowledgment of contact closes the book on Portugal’s effort for now and leaves France with a promising forward to fast-track toward senior consideration.
The friction in the story is part sporting, part reputational. Portugal formally reached out and its coach presented the move as routine scouting, yet Martinez also made clear that the player’s preference carried the day. For Bournemouth, the calculus is different: the club bought Kroupi for €15 million and is now publicly resisting a nine-figure valuation, creating a gap between what national teams might want and what the club wants to protect.
How this matters immediately is practical. Portugal are due to open their World Cup campaign against DR Congo on June 17, and Martinez named a 27-man provisional squad as part of that preparation. With Kroupi unavailable to them, Portugal will have to fill the attacking options from a different pool, while France retain a forward who has already delivered consistent goals at club and youth international levels this season.
Kroupi’s decision also shapes transfer talk. His form has drawn attention beyond national teams — he has been linked with Arsenal during a season that has lifted his value ( — but Bournemouth’s stance suggests any move would be both costly and contested.
For now, the decisive fact is simple: Eli Junior Kroupi has chosen France and Portugal, after making a formal approach, has stepped back. That leaves Kroupi to press his case with France and Bournemouth to protect an asset whose price and international ties have become central to his next steps.
