Highly rated Athletic Bilbao defender and former Manchester City target Aymeric Laporte received his first French national team call-up Thursday, ahead of World Cup qualifiers next month.
It eliminates the possibility of joining Spain, where Laporte has played since joining Bilbao's academy as a 16-year-old.
Before earning his senior status, Laporte represented France at various youth levels, and captained the Under-21 team at the European Championship last year.
"Happy to have been selected in the France squad for the next convocation," he wrote on Twitter. "Proud to wear and honour this shirt."
Laporte - whose great grandparents hail from the Basque region - signed a new deal with Bilbao until 2020 that staved off interest from City this summer. The contract also includes a mammoth €70-million release clause that could rise another €5 million by the start of the 2017-18 campaign.
He was denied a chance to play for Les Bleus at Euro 2016 after breaking his leg during an Under-21 friendly.
Olivier Giroud and Borussia Dortmund wizard Ousmane Dembele were among the unlucky exclusions from the squad. Giroud has barely featured for Arsenal in the first few weeks of the season, but Dembele has attracted glances in Germany with his stunning footwork.
Karim Benzema continues to watch from the sidelines, the consequence of a blackmail case dating back to last November.
Noel Le Graet, the French Football Association president, said the Real Madrid forward will have the opportunity to play for his country once the legal process plays out.
France hosts Bulgaria on Oct. 7, before facing the Netherlands three day later.
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (PSG), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham), Steve Mandanda (Crystal Palace)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Layvin Kurzawa (PSG), Laporte (Bilbao), Jeremy Mathieu (Barcelona), Bacary Sagna (Manchester City), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: Yohan Cabaye (Crystal Palace), N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Blaise Matuidi (PSG), Dimitri Payet (West Ham), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Moussa Sissoko (Tottenham)
Forwards: Kingsley Coman (Bayern Munich), Nabil Fekir (Lyon), Kevin Gameiro (Atletico Madrid), Andre-Pierre Gignac (Tigres UANL), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United)