Joel Embiid has obtained French nationality

You have to dive into the meanders of the Official Journal of the French Republic (JORF) to extract a line lost in the middle of hundreds of others: on July 5, on the occasion of the publication of two decrees validated on July 4, the pivot of the Philadelphia Sixers Joel Embiid was officially naturalized French.

Eight days later, the information is just beginning to surface on social media. It will probably reopen the debates as to the need or not to select the interior in the France team for the next major international events (Mondial 2023 and Paris Games 2024), knowing thatEmbiid will not take part in Euro 2022 (September 1-18). With the prospect, sporty and enticing, of an association of “Big Men” alongside Rudy Gobert.

A process initiated at the request of the FFBB

So far, the French Federation (FFBB) and the staff of the France team had commented little on the situation, awaiting the end of the process and a formalization. The player, through his entourage, had made it known that the procedure had been initiated at the request of the Federation. The passport is now in his pocket.