Wilfried Zaha Lambasts Crystal Palace’s Jean-Philippe Mateta’s Claims Over Dismissing France Ambitions
Last Updated:October 16, 2025, 15:07 IST
Mateta stated that nobody backed his France ambitions a few years ago, singling out Zaha for being dismissive of his dreams, following which the Ivorian clarified his comments.
Wilfried Zaha, Jean-Philippe Mateta. (X)
Wilfried Zaha clapped back at comments made by former Crystal Palace teammate Jean-Philippe Mateta over the latter’s possibility of a national call-up for France. Mateta, who has hit a purple patch with the Eagles in recent years was handed his debut international cap against Iceland by Didier Deschamps and he made the most of it as he found the back of the net for Les Blues.
Ahead of his France debut, Mateta had stated that nobody backed his France ambitions a while back, singling out Zaha for being dismissive of his dreams.
“I always believed in playing for the France national team,” the Frenchman said.
“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,” he said.
“They said that I was mad to think about the France team when I wasn’t even playing at Crystal Palace, but I responded saying that it was my objective and that I simply had to play to show what I could do,” the 28-year-old added.
“My dream has always been to play for the France team. I knew that I would get my chance,” he said.
Zaha clarified his comments with a social media post that read, “It was never a thing where I laughed at him. It was a thing where we were laughing, saying that there are so many players… it is going to be a difficult task.”
Zaha went on to share a video of himself explaining the situation so as to clear up the misunderstanding.
“No, I’m sorry, My head’s on fire. I’ve got to clear up this Mateta situation because he doesn’t want to. I spoke to him, he doesn’t want to, he’s okay with it,” he revealed.
“And this just shows me that, see the times when I was playing at Crystal Palace and people, all these people were watching me, it’s clear that they weren’t happy for me because I never made anyone feel like shit. I never — like everyone knows me like that,” the Ivorian said.
“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,” the former Manchester United winger continued.
“So it’s disgusting when I see someone that I thought was a friend do that. Like the conversation that was had was, his chances of playing for France way back when he wasn’t playing for Palace and there were 10 players that he had this conversation with.”
“And as friends, we laughed it off, but we were joking around that it was going to be difficult, especially with Benzema and all these different players playing in those positions, but we never, ever once said you’re never going to make it,” the 32-year-old said.
“So wouldn’t you be shocked — and especially with football banter when you’re mates — wouldn’t you be shocked if this person asked this to 10 people?”
“I swear to you, 10 Crystal Palace players were there when this conversation was had. Wouldn’t you be shocked that this person has made out like there’s some sort of hate for me? Why would he say my name when there were 10 people? Or is it because Zaha… Zaha is the biggest name? I do not understand.
“It’s disgusting. I’ve never hated on anyone. So now I’m getting messages — ‘Oh, you’re not laughing now at Mateta.”’ I couldn’t care less. Well done to him. I even congratulated him publicly on his Instagram, on his posts.
“So to hear that story come out, it’s like, what the f***? Did you dislike me the whole time for you to come out with this — your come-up story? ‘I’m going to use Zaha as my come-up story.’ Like, it’s nasty, man. It is nasty.”
“This is why I don’t have football friends,” Zaha added. “This is why I keep myself to myself, because how’s he going to do that?”
Location :
United Kingdom (UK)
First Published:
October 16, 2025, 15:07 IST
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