N'Golo Kanté has achieved great success with the French national team in recent years, but things would have been completely different had the Fenerbahçe player followed his heart.

Kanté was a key player for the French national team for nearly a decade, reaching the final of Euro 2016, winning the 2018 World Cup, and was even called up for the 2026 World Cup.

The 35-year-old midfielder left his mark on the French national team with 69 caps, 2 goals, and two titles: the 2018 World Cup and the 2021 UEFA Nations League.

His former Leicester City teammate Jamie Vardy, with whom he won the English Premier League title in 2016, revealed a major surprise about Kanté.

Vardy said, as quoted by Foot Mercato: 'N'Golo Kanté wanted to represent Mali, not France, to honor his father's roots.'

Goalkeeping – Goal protection

Goalkeeping – Possession

Attack

Playmaking

Defense

He added: 'We convinced him that he would win the World Cup with France. He gave his Mini Cooper car to his parents in the village and bought another one when his teammates made fun of him.'