‘It’s disgusting’ – Zaha slams French-Congolese striker Jean-Philippe Mateta over France dream remarks
A heated exchange has erupted between Charlotte FC winger Wilfried Zaha and former Crystal Palace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta after the French striker accused Zaha of mocking his ambition to represent France.
Mateta, who is of Congolese heritage, recently recalled his early days at Crystal Palace in an interview where he claimed Zaha laughed at his dream of earning a call-up to the French national team.
The comments, which resurfaced after Mateta’s debut for Les Bleus, have prompted a strong response from the Ivorian star.
“At Crystal Palace, right at the start, when I wasn’t even playing, I spoke about the France team in the dressing room and I had team-mates like Wilfried Zaha who were laughing,” Mateta said.
“They said I was mad to think about the France team when I wasn’t even playing, but I responded saying that it was my objective and that I simply had to play to show what I could do.”
Mateta, 28, achieved that goal earlier this month when he made his first appearance for France in a 3-0 win over Azerbaijan before scoring in a 2-2 draw with Iceland.
His success, however, has been overshadowed by Zaha’s furious reaction.
“My head’s on fire. I have to clear up this Mateta situation. Because he doesn’t want to. I spoke to him and he doesn’t want to, he’s okay with it.
“This just shows me, all the time I played for Crystal Palace, people watching me, it’s clear that they weren’t happy for me.
“Because I never made anyone feel like “s***”. I never… everyone knows me. The only time on the pitch is when I’m passionate and all that stuff.
“But I’d never bully someone or say someone won’t make it here or won’t make it at all or nothing like that.
“It’s disgusting when I see someone that I thought was a friend do that.”
Uhhhhhh #cpfc pic.twitter.com/VgGIco9tI8
— J🅰️cob (@jxj_cpfc) October 15, 2025
Zaha and Mateta shared the pitch for two-and-a-half seasons at Selhurst Park before Zaha’s move to Galatasaray in 2023.
While Mateta’s rise to international recognition marks a personal milestone, the fallout with his former teammate threatens to overshadow his recent success, with fans eagerly awaiting his response to Zaha’s fiery remarks.
