Vincent Poirier puts French national team on pause: health comes first
Vincent Poirier wanted to set the record straight regarding his current relationship with the French national team.
At 32, coming off a season that never really found its rhythm thanks to a string of physical setbacks, the French big man is zeroed in on one thing: getting his body right. “The national team isn’t really on my mind right now,” he told us, no hedging, no fluff. “It’s about recovery. Taking care of myself. Getting back to where I’m supposed to be. My knee has to be right.” No grand declarations. No long-term projections. Just a veteran who knows the clock, knows his body, and—more importantly—knows exactly what matters next.
It’s a position that follows naturally from how 2025 played out for him — a year shaped, and ultimately stalled, by a major setback.
Last summer, Vincent Poirier was forced to withdraw ahead of EuroBasket 2025 with a knee injury that ended up requiring surgery. The effects carried over into his club season, too, as he missed the opening stretch with Anadolu Efes Istanbul.
In that context, it’s hard to see him looking too far ahead with the French national team. “The priority is still my health, because the seasons are long,” he said, emphasizing a controlled, step-by-step return — one that really starts to take shape over the offseason. “I’m fully focused on getting my knee right, especially this summer.”
That said, the former Real Madrid center isn’t shutting any doors.
“If I get back to a good level and they call me, I’ll be there,” Vincent Poirier said — a reminder that the connection to the national team still runs deep. Just don’t expect urgency or projections right now. “For the moment, I don’t have any specific plans or ambitions. The main thing is to get better.”
It’s an interesting moment, too, with France’s frontcourt quietly turning over — new profiles emerging around Victor Wembanyama and Mathias Lessort. Names like Maxime Raynaud, Moussa Diabaté, and Alexandre Sarr are starting to carve out space. Poirier sees it — appreciates it — but keeps it at arm’s length. “I’m happy to see top players coming through, but I’m not even thinking about that.”
An experienced international, Poirier sits at 63 caps with France. He’s been part of the group’s recent medal run — bronze at the 2019 FIBA Basketball World Cup, then back-to-back silvers at the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and EuroBasket 2022 — a résumé that speaks for itself, even as his focus now is on something much simpler: getting all the way back.
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Meta Description: Vincent Poirier steps back from the French national team, prioritizing his health after a knee injury and a disrupted season.
Excerpt: Vincent Poirier explained why the French national team is not his current priority, emphasizing his physical recovery.
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