Aymeric Laporte felt jealous when watching France win the World Cup having been left out of Didier Deschamps' squad.
Manchester City defender Laporte was among the headline absentees, although he is uncapped, having been included in a squad for friendly matches in March.
The 24-year-old centre-back also qualifies to play for Spain and said it was tough to watch Les Bleus succeed without him.
"There was jealousy, to be honest," Laporte told reporters. "The decisions were made and you just have to accept them - that's how it is in football.
"It didn't come as a surprise to me that I wasn't involved.