Kylian Mbappé has pledged his ongoing commitment to playing for France, despite being left out of the last two national squad selections.
The 25-year-old Real Madrid forward, who has earned 86 caps for France, was part of the team that won the 2018 World Cup and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final, which France lost to Argentina. He is also the team’s captain.
However, Mbappé was excluded from the France squad in October as a precaution following an injury, and again the following month without any clear explanation.
“The French team has always been the pinnacle of football for me; it’s the national team. I’ve always said that nothing is more important. My love for the French team has never changed,” Mbappé told Canal+.
“You serve your country, and that’s all there is to it.”
Mbappé has scored 48 goals for France, though he managed just one competitive goal in 2024. His Euro 2024 campaign was challenging, as he played much of the tournament with a broken nose.
France head coach Didier Deschamps described Mbappé’s omission from the squad for November’s Nations League fixtures as a “one-off” decision.
Mbappé commented: “I can’t speak about November because that was the coach’s decision, and I support what he said. I fully respect his choice because he’s the boss. I wanted to be there, but I can’t explain why I wasn’t.”
Although he has yet to hit top form at Real Madrid following his free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer, Mbappé has still scored 11 goals in 21 appearances for the Spanish club.
The issue of limited rest for top footballers will come under scrutiny again next summer when FIFA hosts an expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States.
Kylian Mbappé will participate in that tournament, followed by the regular World Cup in the summer of 2026.
Leagues, national associations, and player unions have all raised serious concerns about the crowded football calendar, and Mbappé has suggested that player fatigue is becoming inevitable.
“In the NBA, they get four months off,” Mbappé said. “We get two weeks, and by the second week, we’re already back to training. It’s not really a vacation.”
“I was tired at Euro 2024. I wanted to stay because you give everything for the French team, but it was exhausting.”
