Sunderland's French Striker Makes Major National Team Decision

Sunderland's 25-year-old striker from France is making waves on the international scene as teams prepare for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Wilson Isidor - found family at Sunderland
Wilson Isidor - found family at Sunderland | IMAGO / PA Images

Sunderland's main weapon, who scored nine goals to send the club back into the Premier League after eight years, is making moves ahead of October's international break.

Wilson Isidor arrived from Zenit Saint Petersburg on loan last year and played 26 games for the club. The Black Cats exercised the option to buy, signing him until 2028 in February earlier this year.

Isidor was born in Rennes, France, and has been representing the nation as a youth international. He made his debut for the France Under-17 team in 2017 and played six games for them.

He picked it up a notch and netted 4 goals in 7 appearances as a part of the France Under-18 team. Isidor averaged one goal per game in eight matches for the Under-19 team. He made two appearances for the Under-20 team but did not manage to get onto the scoresheet.

The Sunderland forward has not played for France since September 8, 2019. Latest reports suggest that Isidor is looking for more opportunities in the international scene. While the 25-year-old was born in France, his parents are Haitian.

Isidor has reportedly agreed to join the Haitian national team. Barring any major issues, the striker is likely to take the field for the Grenadiers next month.

Haiti made it to the final round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup Qualifiers with a 5-0 win over Aruba in June. However, they struggled in the Concacaf Gold Cup. Haiti lost to Saudi Arabia and the USA and drew against Trinidad and Tobago to finish last in their group.

The Grenadiers train isn't making much progress in the final round of the World Cup Qualifiers either. They played a goalless draw against Honduras on September 5. Although their encounter against Costa Rica was an exciting one, the two teams split the six goals evenly, taking home only one point each.

With two points in two games, Isidor's arrival brings a new glimmer of hope for Haiti. They are scheduled to play four games in the next two months to punch their ticket to the biggest stage of them all in the United States next year.

Haiti is set to face Nicaragua on October 9, Honduras on October 13, Costa Rica on November 13 and Nicaragua again on November 18.

Isidor seems to be in great form this season. He has already scored twice this season. The Sunderland forward gave the finishing touches to the Black Cats' 3-0 win in the Premier League season opener. He also scored against Brentford in the third fixture to complete a late comeback. Haiti would hope for similar results from the young gun.

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Nishant Gupta
NISHANT GUPTA

Nishant is a sports writer with over four years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and soccer. He has bylines in several reputable digital media platforms, including Sportskeeda, Athlon Sports, Pro Football & Sports Network, and PinkVilla. He's known for delivering insightful and engaging coverage on everything, turning game-day grit into punchy storytelling.

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