Kante ‘convinced’ to snub Mali and become world champion with France, reveals Vardy

N’Golo Kante was on the verge of choosing Mali over France before Leicester City team-mates persuaded him he would one day become a world champion with Les Bleus, Jamie Vardy has revealed.

“«N’golo Kante voulait jouer pour le Mali pour representer ses origines mais on l’a convaincu qu’il sera champion du monde avec l’equipe de France !» a declare Vardy.”

The English striker’s remark, made about those Leicester days, now sounds like a remarkable prophecy. At the time, Kante was seriously considering representing Mali, the country of his parents, and was deeply attached to his family roots.

Torn between roots and opportunity

Kante, then a rising star in the Premier League with Leicester, faced a profound dilemma. Proud of his Malian heritage, he hesitated as Mali’s national side – the Eagles – made clear their desire to bring him into their set-up.

In the Foxes’ dressing room, however, his team-mates felt there was no doubt where his future lay. To them, the midfielder’s qualities – his reading of the game, tireless energy and ability to dominate midfields – were far too exceptional for him not to aim for the absolute pinnacle of international football.

The Leicester squad, aware of how rare his talent was, set about convincing him that the trajectory of his career should lead to the French national team and the highest honours in the game. They made it their mission to highlight not only his current level, but the ceiling they believed he had yet to reach.

Deschamps’ call changes everything

The turning point came in March 2016, when France coach Didier Deschamps called Kante into the national squad. That selection confirmed what his Leicester colleagues had been telling him: that he could be central to France’s ambitions.

Encouraged by the faith shown in him – both in the Leicester dressing room and by Deschamps – Kante chose to wear the blue shirt of France rather than the green of Mali.

That decision would prove decisive not only for his own legacy, but also for the modern history of French football.

From Premier League sensation to world champion

Just two years after his international debut, Kante stood on top of the world. At the 2018 World Cup in Russia, he became one of the pillars of Deschamps’ side, renowned for his relentless work off the ball, interceptions and positional intelligence.

By the time France lifted the World Cup trophy in Moscow, Kante had confirmed his status as one of the key architects of the team’s success. His understated style and crucial influence in midfield turned him into a symbol of the collective strength that defined that French generation.

A decade on from Vardy’s revelation about those conversations at Leicester, the episode underlines how narrowly football history can turn. A few words in a club dressing room, a coach’s timely phone call and a player torn between heritage and opportunity combined to shape both the destiny of an exceptional midfielder and the path of a nation that would go on to become world champion.