French footballer (born 2006)
Eli Junior Kroupi Full name
Eli Junior Eric Anat Kroupi Date of birth
(2006-06-23 ) 23 June 2006 (age 18) Place of birth
Lorient , France Height
1.79 m (5 ft 10 in) Position(s)
Forward Current team
Lorient Number
22 2013–2023
Lorient Years
Team
Apps
(Gls ) 2022–2023
Lorient B
18
(9) 2023–
Lorient
31
(5) 2021–2022
France U16
9
(5) 2022–2023
France U17
9
(9) 2023
France U18
2
(1) 2023–
France U19
11
(0)
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 19 May 2024 ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 25 July 2024
Eli Junior Eric Anat Kroupi (born 23 June 2006) is a French professional footballer who plays as a forward for Ligue 2 club Lorient .[ 1]
Born in Lorient , Brittany , Eli Junior Kroupi is the son of former Ivory Coast international Éli Kroupi , who played as a professional for FC Lorient , where Junior started playing football.[ 2] [ 3] [ 4] [ 5]
A pure product of the Lorient Academy [fr ] ,[ 6] [ 7] Junior Kroupi started playing with the National 2 reserve team in the end of the 2021–22 season .[ 8]
He signed his first professional contract with the club on the summer 2022.[ 9] While proving to be a regular goalscorer with the reserve ,[ 10] [ 11] [ 12] he made his first appearance with the professional squad in April 2023, for the Ligue 1 game against Marseille .[ 13] [ 14]
Eli Junior Kroupi made his professional debut for FC Lorient on the 3 June 2023 during a home Ligue 1 against Strasbourg , to be the youngest player in his club's history breaking previous record of Mattéo Guendouzi ,[ 15] when he replaced Romain Faivre at the 83rd minute and his team won the match 2–1.[ 16] [ 17] Despite this being the last round of the 2022–23 French top flight , Kroupi became at the age of 16 years and 345 days, the third youngest player to enter the field that season, only behind Warren Zaïre-Emery and Leny Yoro .[ 18]
On 23 September 2023, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lorient in a 5–3 away defeat against Nantes ,[ 19] to be the youngest scorer in club's history, breaking previous record of André Ayew .[ 15] A month later, on 8 October, after scoring twice in a 3–3 away draw against Lyon , he became the youngest player to score a brace in Ligue 1 since Bernard Zénier in 1974, at 17 years old and 107 days.[ 20] [ 21] On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.[ 22]
International career [ edit ] Eli Junior Kroupi is a youth international for France, first receiving a call with the under-16 in October 2021.[ 23] He soon became a prolific goalscorer with France youth teams, with the U16 ,[ 2] and even more with the U17 , scoring 9 goals in his first 9 appearances with the latter.[ 24] [ 25] [ 26]
In May 2023, he was selected by Jean-Luc Vannuchi for the European Under-17 Championship , as France were the reigning champions .[ 27] He was however forced to withdraw due to injury,[ 28] while his team would eventually go on to reach the final of the competition.[ 29]
As of match played 8 October 2023 [ 30]
Appearances and goals by club, season and competition
Club
Season
League
National cup[ a]
League cup
Europe
Other
Total
Division
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Apps
Goals
Lorient II
2021–22
Championnat National 2
3
2
—
3
2
2022–23
Championnat National 2
15
7
—
15
7
Total
18
9
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
18
9
Lorient
2022–23
Ligue 1
1
0
0
0
—
—
—
1
0
2023–24
Ligue 1
7
3
0
0
—
—
—
7
3
Total
8
3
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
8
3
Career total
26
12
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
0
26
12
^ Eli Junior Kroupi at Soccerway. Retrieved 18 April 2023.
^ a b Cogné, Baptiste (23 November 2021). "Éli Junior, international U16, marche sur les traces de son père Éli Kroupi" . Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ Prugneau, Pierre (26 July 2022). "La Ligue 1 de père en fils, une riche promotion 2022-2023" . L'Équipe (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ Gucciardi, Thomas (6 April 2022). "L'OM s'attaque à l'espoir Eli Kroupi Junior (FC Lorient)" . actufoot [fr ] (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ Kulig, Jacek (4 December 2022). "Eli Junior Kroupi" . Football Talent Scout . Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ Cogné, Baptiste (23 March 2022). " " Avec sa formation, le FCL a un bel avenir devant lui ", assure Régis Le Bris" . Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Junior Kroupi a bien grandi - pays-lorient - football" . newsouest.fr . 10 March 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "FC Lorient. Eli Junior Kroupi a fait ses débuts en N2 - Foot Amateur Bretagne" . Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme . 26 May 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Premier contrat professionnel pour le prometteur attaquant Junior Kroupi, fils d'Eli" . Ouest-France (in French). 10 June 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "N2 : le FC Lorient (B) s'impose en toute fin de match face à Romorantin - Foot Amateur Bretagne" . Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme . 20 August 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "N2 : les réservistes lorientais battent Andrézieux-Bouthéon 3-0 - Foot Amateur Bretagne" . Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 16 December 2022. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "N2 : Lorient (B) poursuit ses emplettes - Foot Amateur Bretagne" . Foot Amateur Bretagne (in French). Le Télégramme. 14 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "FC Lorient. Première convocation en Ligue 1 pour Eli Junior Kroupi à 16 ans contre l'OM" . Le Télégramme (in French). 8 April 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Eli Junior Kroupi, 16 ans et déjà aux portes de la Ligue 1 !" . Le Télégramme (in French). 24 April 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ a b "Éli Junior Kroupi, el 'Lamine Yamal de la Ligue 1': "Tiene un margen de mejora inmenso" " (in Spanish). Marca. 6 October 2023.
^ "Lorient 2-1 Strasbourg, Ligue 1 : résumé du match" . L'Équipe (in French). 3 June 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ Sauer, Rémy (3 June 2023). "Ligue 1. Battu à Lorient (2-1), le Racing méritait mieux et termine 15e" . Dernières Nouvelles d'Alsace (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ "Les plus des jeunes joueurs de la saison" . Ligue1 (in French). Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ "2023-24: Eli Junior Kroupi, the youngest scorer" . Ligue 1. 4 October 2023.
^ "OL - Lorient : Lyon peut nourrir des regrets" (in French). L'Équipe. 8 October 2023.
^ "Football Discovery: Eli Kroupi Junior has soccer in his genes" . Sport News Africa. 10 October 2023.
^ Christenson, Marcus; Bloor, Steven; Blight, Garry (11 October 2023). "Next Generation 2023: 60 of the best young talents in world football" . theguardian.com . Retrieved 11 October 2023 .
^ Canivenc, Clovis (22 October 2021). "Equipe de France U16 : La liste pour le tournoi du Val-de-Marne" . MadeinFOOT (in French). Ouest-France . Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ Huchet, Arnaud (23 February 2023). "4 buts en 2 matchs contre l'Italie : Junior Kroupi rayonne avec l'équipe de France U17" . Ouest-France (in French). Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Equipe de France U17 : Kroupi (Lorient) et Lambourde (Stade Rennais) appelés par Jean-Luc Vannuchi" . Le Télégramme (in French). 10 March 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Éli Junior Kroupi une nouvelle fois décisif avec l'équipe de France U17" . Ouest-France (in French). 21 January 2023. Retrieved 18 April 2023 .
^ "Éli Junior Kroupi convoqué avec l'équipe de France U17 pour l'Euro" . Ouest-France . 3 May 2023.
^ " " Immense tristesse " pour Eli Junior Kroupi, forfait pour l'Euro U17" . Le Télégramme (in French). 6 May 2023. Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ "Germany-France | Under-17 2023 Final" . UEFA.com . Retrieved 25 June 2023 .
^ Eli Junior Kroupi at Soccerway. Retrieved 27 September 2023.