Dunkerque's Steven Nzonzi: 'It is surely my last or penultimate season.'

Following his return to French football, new USL Dunkerque signing and former World Cup winner Steven Nzonzi spoke to L'Équipe ahead of the upcoming Ligue 2 BKT season.

A transfer a year in the making

It is not since 2021 that Nzonzi has played in his native France. A winner with Les Bleus in Russia back in 2018, his only other stint in his homeland came at SC Amiens. A journeyman midfielder, he has also had stints at the likes of Blackburn Rovers, Stoke City, Sevilla, AS Roma, Galatasaray, Al-Rayyan, Konyaspor, and Sepahan.

Why Dunkerque, then, L'Équipe asked. "I already spoke with Demba Ba (the former sporting director, now at Le Havre AC in Ligue 1 McDonald's) last year. This year, I spoke with [Dunkerque's] president, the manager. I liked what they said. They are a club that really wanted me," Nzonzi began.

He continued, "It was interesting. I didn't want to wait, as I have in previous years, until the last week of the transfer window to make a decision. I was also a bit fed up with the 'exotic' leagues. Here, I am not far from Paris, from my family. I am coming back to France: everything fell into place for me."

17 ans plus tard... Steven Nzonzi est de retour en Ligue 2 BKT et s'engage à l'@usldunkerque ! 🤩 pic.twitter.com/xcdxRYJQRa
— Ligue 2 BKT (@Ligue2BKT) July 31, 2026

Playing in France's second tier, Nzonzi accepts that eyes will be on him going into the campaign, which begins against Grenoble on Saturday. "I don't pay too much attention to what is being said around me, even if I understand it. For sure, a World Cup winner playing in the second tier will elicit some curiosity, but I am focused on what goes on on the pitch. I am in my own bubble a bit. I am ageing, but I am trying to still be as competitive as possible, to bring as much to the team as possible. That is what my focus is on."

Now 37, he puts his longevity down to the care that he has taken of his body, especially since his stint in Spain. "I started to take care of my body at 26, when I signed for Sevilla, when it was 40 degrees and I was playing every three days with the Champions League [...] from there, I started to pay attention to the small details. That's why, at 37, nearly 38, I am still playing, even if I can't lie, I'm no longer in my prime, but I can continue to perform."

And joining Dunkerque, whom he will hope to lead into Ligue 1 McDonald's this season, Nzonzi is realistic; he can't go on forever. "Retirement? It is never an easy decision. As long as I can play, so long as my body doesn't hurt, I am going to play, but it is surely my last season, or my penultimate season. At some point in time, you have to think about what comes next," he told L'Équipe.

But for now, his mind is on the present and pulling off another exploit to cap a glistening career, both at international and club level.