Eli Junior Eric Anat Kroupi (born 23 June 2006) is a French professional footballer who plays for FC Lorient.
Early life
Born in Lorient, Brittany, Eli Junior Kroupi is the son of former Ivory Coast international Éli Kroupi, who played as a professional for FC Lorient, where Junior started playing football.
Club career
A pure product of the , Junior Kroupi started playing with the National 2 reserve team in the end of the 2021–22 season.
He signed his first professional contract with the club on the summer 2022. While proving to be a regular goalscorer with the reserve, he made his first appearance with the professional squad in April 2023, for the Ligue 1 game against Marseille.
Eli Junior Kroupi made his professional debut for FC Lorient on the 3 June 2023 during a home Ligue 1 against Strasbourg, to be the youngest player in his club's history breaking previous record of Mattéo Guendouzi, when he replaced Romain Faivre at the 83rd minute and his team won the match 2–1. Despite this being the last round of the 2022–23 Frecnh top flight, Kroupi became at the age of 16 years and 345 days, the third youngest player to enter the field that season, only behind Warren Zaïre-Emery and Leny Yoro.
On 23 September 2023, he scored his first Ligue 1 goal for Lorient in a 5–3 away defeat against Nantes, to be the youngest scorer in club's history, breaking previous record of André Ayew. A month later, on 8 October, after scoring twice in a 3–3 away draw against Lyon, he became the youngest player to score a brace in Ligue 1 since Bernard Zénier in 1974, at 17 years old and 107 days. On 11 October 2023, he was named by English newspaper The Guardian as one of the best players born in 2006 worldwide.
International career
Eli Junior Kroupi is a youth international for France, first receiving a call with the under-16 in October 2021. He soon became a prolific goalscorer with France youth teams, with the U16, and even more with the U17, scoring 9 goals in his frist 9 appearances with the latter.
In May 2023, he was selected by Jean-Luc Vannuchi for the European Under-17 Championship, as France were the reigning champions. He was however forced to withdraw due to injury, while his team would eventually go on to reach the final of the competition.