In May 2010, Makoun was named in Cameroon's 23 man squad for the World Cup. He made his World Cup debut, starting a match and played 75 minutes before substituted, as Cameroon lost 1–0 against Japan. Makoun participated in all of Cameroon's games in their disappointing 2010 FIFA World Cup. After Samuel Eto'o was suspended 15 games by the Cameroonian Football Federation, both Makoun and Benoît Angbwa issued an ultimatum to the federation, stating that they would not play for the national team unless his suspension was rescinded. Eventually, the ban was reduced to eight months in January 2012, meaning Eto'o would only miss four competitive matches.