A recent local feature traced the Kalmyk ancestry of French World Cup winner Youri Djorkaeff. His grandfather Armadyk Djorkaeff (also spelled Dzhorkayev) was a Kalmyk from the Astrakhan area who served in the White Army, was captured, and later emigrated to France after the Russian Civil War. He settled in Decines near Lyon among other Kalmyk emigres, married a Polish woman named Madeleine, and raised son Jean and daughter Marie. Armadyk kept the Kalmyk language and songs even as locals called him Armand.
Jean Djorkaeff became a professional defender, captained Paris Saint-Germain, and played for France at the 1966 World Cup. Youri, born in 1968 in Lyon to Jean and Armenian mother Mary Ohanian, scored 28 goals in 82 appearances for France. He won the 1998 World Cup, Euro 2000, and the 2001 Confederations Cup. He also played for Monaco, PSG, Inter Milan, and others. The article notes earlier Kalmyk soccer activity among 1930s European emigres, including a team called Dzhangar in Bavaria and players who appeared for Sparta Prague. Youri has spoken more often of his Armenian heritage but the paternal Kalmyk line is documented in family history and interviews.