Eli Junior Kroupi: World Cup dream on hold as Bournemouth striker keeps eyes on club prize

Bournemouth, England – At 19, Eli Junior Kroupi already talks like a seasoned professional. The French forward has struck nine Premier League goals in his debut English season, including a nerveless last-minute penalty against Manchester United before the recent international break, yet when the conversation turns to this winter’s World Cup he offers a measured response familiar from veterans twice his age.

“Of course, it’s a dream. Playing a World Cup is a dream that every footballer has,” Kroupi told FourFourTwo. “But in order to win a place in the squad, you have to perform at club level, so for the time being I’m staying focused on things at Bournemouth.”

The teenager’s refusal to look beyond the Vitality Stadium has not dulled his ambition. Kroupi admits the tournament is never far from his thoughts, but he is adamant that consistent club form must come first.

“I want to experience this season to the maximum, then we’ll see what happens after that,” he said.

Kroupi’s rise has been shaped by hours studying the game’s elite. He cites Neymar as his primary idol and mined traits from a who’s-who of modern strikers.

“I admired Neymar. Watching him play, when he was playing more regularly, was incredible,” he explained. “Then I’d inevitably watch the strikers – Robert Lewandowski, Karim Benzema and Edinson Cavani. I watched lots of strikers – in particular I’d look at how they moved and how they managed to do certain things. I always tried to take something from each of them and create my own style of play.”

Despite following Europe’s heavyweights, the youngster’s allegiance remains with his first club.

“As a youngster I didn’t support one particular club,” he said. “I was a fan of the beauty of football. Of course, there were teams I liked such as Barcelona, Real Madrid, Paris Saint-Germain and Liverpool. But my favourite club is still FC Lorient.”

With Bournemouth pushing up the table and Kroupi’s stock rising with every outing, the forward’s single-minded approach could yet force Didier Deschamps to take notice. For now, though, the dream remains exactly where Kroupi wants it: in the distance, waiting to be earned.