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The teenager became the youngest player to score for his country since Maurice Gastiger more than a century ago.
Eduardo Camavinga is already on the verge of being inescapable for Didier Deschamps, said the French coach.
The Rennes Camavinga midfielder made his first international outing in a friendly against Ukraine on Wednesday and opened the scoring in a 7-1 win with a ninth-minute kick.
At 17 years and 11 months, he became the second youngest player to score for Les Bleus after Maurice Gastiger (17 years, five months) against Switzerland in March 1914.
Camavinga was recruited into the squad in September as a late replacement for Paul Pogba following the Manchester United midfielder’s positive coronavirus test and became France’s youngest debutant in 106 years when he came off the bench against Croatia.
Deschamps is wary of pushing too hard from Camavinga, who is reportedly a Real Madrid target, but admits the teenager is making it difficult for him not to pick him.
“I really don’t want to take him off the roster or the team considering how he plays. Let’s see, he’s still young,” Deschamps said.
“I need to coach him like Julien Stephan is coaching Eduardo in Rennes. Soon he will play every three days. He is a very young player with many great skills and great talent.
“I already selected him last month, I think he’s good enough and that’s why he plays. He needs to show his skills on the field, although we shouldn’t ask too much either.
“He is here. We all know the great competition we have in midfield, but it is not the others and he, he is totally him among the others. I will need to make some decisions.”
A double by Olivier Giroud, who captained the team in their 100th appearance, and an own goal by Vitaliy Mykolenko sent France into the break 4-0 up.
Viktor Tsygankov cut for Ukraine, but goals from Corentin Tolisso and substitutes Kylian Mbappé and Antoine Griezmann ensured a resounding triumph.
Giroud’s double took him to 42 international goals, putting him ahead of Michel Platini and second on France’s all-time goalscorer list; only Thierry Henry (51) has more.
“I am very happy for Olivier, not only for his 100th game with us. Although he did not score every time, he is always very important to us, he is one of the players who started with me in 2012,” Deschamps said. .
“He always has this fire inside, this passion. Bravo! That’s why I asked him to be captain tonight. It may be a symbolism but I know it’s important to him. It’s done. I won’t give him gifts, he knows, but I hope I can keep doing things like that. “
France face Portugal and Croatia in the Nations League on Sunday and Wednesday respectively.
