PARIS, March 15 (Xinhua) -- Wissam Ben Yedder, who helped Sevilla eliminate Manchester United from UEFA Champions League, was rewarded his first call-up into France squad by head coach Didier Deschamps on Thursday.
Ben Yedder came off the bench to score a brace in Tuesday's second leg of Champions League last 16, earning Sevilla a 2-1 victory at Manchester United and a berth in quarter-finals.
Ben Yedder, whose parents came from Tunisia, preferred France to the northern African country in featuring at the 2018 World Cup.
Deschamps announced a 24-member list for the upcoming two friendly fixtures later this month.
France, the 1998 World Cup winner, will host Colombia at Stade de France on March 23, and travel to Saint Petersburg for a clash with World Cup hosts Russia four days later.
Along with Ben Yedder, Atletico Madrid defender Lucas Hernandez was called up by Les Bleus for the first time.
Some prominent absentees this time are Marseille attacking midfielder Dimitri Payet, Paris Saint-Germain defender Layvin Kurzawa and Tottenham Hotspur midfielder Moussa Sissoko.
France are slotted in Group C with Australia, Peru and Denmark at the 2018 World Cup to run from June 14 until July 15.
France squad:
Goalkeepers: Alphonse Areola (Paris Saint-Germain), Hugo Lloris (Tottenham Hotspur), Steve Mandanda (Marseille)
Defenders: Lucas Digne (Barcelona), Lucas Hernandez (Atletico Madrid), Presnel Kimpembe (Paris Saint-Germain), Laurent Koscielny (Arsenal), Benjamin Pavard (Stuttgart), Djibril Sidibe (Monaco), Samuel Umtiti (Barcelona), Raphael Varane (Real Madrid)
Midfielders: N'Golo Kante (Chelsea), Thomas Lemar (Monaco), Blaise Matuidi (Juventus), Paul Pogba (Manchester United), Adrien Rabiot (Paris Saint-Germain), Corentin Tolisso (Bayern Munich)
Forwards: Wissam Ben Yedder (Sevilla), Ousmane Dembele (Barcelona), Olivier Giroud (Chelsea), Antoine Griezmann (Atletico Madrid), Anthony Martial (Manchester United), Kylian Mbappe (Paris Saint-Germain), Florian Thauvin (Marseille).
