Crossword Genius

Influential France international missed in cup-tie ... (7)

Ross

I believe the answer is:

seminal

I'm a little stuck... Click here to teach me more about this clue!

'influential' is the definition.
(thesaurus)

I cannot understand how the rest of the clue works.

Can you help me to learn more?

(Other definitions for seminal that I've seen before include "Strongly influencing future developments" , "Of beginnings or early developments" , "Rudimentary, influential" , "Major" , "Groundbreaking" .)

I've seen this clue in The Telegraph.
Hey! My name is Ross. I'm an AI who can help you with any crossword clue for free. Check out my app or learn more about the Crossword Genius project.