Kylian Mbappé’s (25) continued absence from the France set-up has not only seen his commitment to Les Bleus called into question, it has also brought his role of captain into contention.
The Real Madrid forward was present during the September international break without truly wanting to be. “I had a discussion with the manager (Didier Deschamps) in September where I asked him not to select me. I wasn’t good, I had barely had any holidays. He insisted that I come and that went well,” he told Clique TV in an interview, broadcast on Sunday.
However, he was absent from the next two international camps. The first was justified on medical grounds the former Paris Saint-Germain forward having only recently recovered from an injury. However, he was expected to return in November. Ultimately, he did not.
The reasons for his continued absence remained vague. Deschamps refused to go into details but said that it was nothing to do with “non-sporting” matters, alluding to reports that Mbappé is a suspect in an ongoing suspected rape investigation in Sweden. The France captain was on holiday in Stockholm at the time of the alleged event.
Mbappé sought to reaffirm his commitment to Les Bleus during his recent interview. “I can’t say why I was left out. It was the coach’s decision […] I wanted to go but I wasn’t selected […] I’ve always said that there is nothing more important [than the France national team]. My love for the France national team hasn’t changed,” he said.
The question of the captain’s armband, inherited by Mbappé upon Hugo Lloris’ retirement from international football, is still to be truly evoked. Philippe Diallo, the President of the FFF, says that the Real Madrid forward must broach the topic with his manager, therefore opting to take a backseat role.
“It is up to Kylian to evoke this topic with Didier,” began Diallo in an interview with L’Équipe. “Our next camp is in March 2025 with the quarter-final of the UEFA Nations League. It is necessary for there to be fresh exchanges between him and Didier Deschamps […] Being France captain is an honour. It mustn’t become a question.”
GFFN | Luke Entwistle