Aguilar finally set for France opportunity three years after Football Manager mix-up led to Bolivia call

Monaco full-back Ruben Aguilar has earned his first call-up to the France squad for their upcoming triple-header.

It marks the end of the 27-year-old's long wait for an international selection…Or at least a first legitimate selection.

Aguilar, who was born in France to a French mother and Spanish father, claimed in 2017 that he had been put in the awkward position of fielding a seemingly nonsensical attempt by Bolivia to persuade him to represent La Verde.

He surmised it to have been a consequence of an error in the database of the Football Manager video game, which he said gave him French-Bolivian dual nationality.

Ruben Aguilar va connaître sa 1ère convocation avec l’équipe de France ! Le défenseur de l’AS Monaco (27 ans) rejoindra le groupe à Clairefontaine demain matin #FiersdetreBleus https://t.co/x7XVOdGXH1

— Equipe de France (@equipedefrance) November 9, 2020

Following good performances with Montpellier at the time, Aguilar received significant attention from Bolivians on social media and even became a topic on TV, with interview requests coming in from the South American nation.

Aguilar had no genuine connection to Bolivia and it proved to be just as well – he could make his first appearance at any level of international football for the defending world champions.

France face Finland in a friendly on Wednesday, before Nations League clashes with Portugal and Sweden.

Aguilar fills the squad place vacated earlier on Monday by Houssem Aouar, who sustained an injury for Lyon at the weekend.