Kylian Mbappe is France’s star forward and one of the most recognisable players in world football.
The Real Madrid player was France’s captain at Euro 2024 and has 48 goals for Les Bleus — but for the second consecutive international break he has been left out of the squad by manager Didier Deschamps.
It has not been a straightforward few months for Mbappe. He has struggled for form at the Bernabeu since joining after his contract expired at Paris Saint-Germain — though he remains in a legal battle with them over unpaid wages — and in October reports linked him to an alleged rape in Sweden.
On Thursday, France had 71 per cent possession, took 24 shots and failed to score in a 0-0 draw with Israel in Paris, where Mbappe was this week celebrating the birthday of his old PSG team-mate and good friend Achraf Hakimi.
After the draw, Deschamps described it as a “difficult period” for Mbappe and said “there is a physical element and a psychological one” to him not being called up.
The Athletic explores Mbappe’s history with France and relationship with Deschamps, and a decision that has been a major talking point…
Despite being one of the heroes of France’s 2018 World Cup win, Mbappe’s relationship with his home nation — and some of the key figures in the national team setup — has become increasingly strained.
Mbappe missed the decisive penalty in the round of 16 against Switzerland at Euro 2020. He bounced back to fire France to another World Cup final in 2022 — where he scored a hat-trick in the defeat by Argentina on penalties, only the second after England’s Geoff Hurst in 1966 — and was named captain the following year, but he has come under fire in the months since France lost against Spain in the Euro 2024 semi-final.
He was heavily criticised in France for missing the October internationals through injury. Seventy-two hours after being left out of Deschamps’ squad, he featured against Villarreal in the final domestic game before the international break. The prominent Irresistibles Francais supporter group said it was “not normal” that the captain was absent from the squad.
Deschamps and the French Football Federation (FFF) continue to back their star player in press engagements, with FFF president Philippe Diallo saying last month’s absence came about after conversations between the player, his manager and medical staff. But a sense of mistrust has lingered among France’s footballing public.
As the main figurehead of a gifted but stuttering side, Mbappe’s performances as captain have come in for criticism. He was booed during September’s internationals, having suggested before the UEFA Nations League match against Italy that he was unconcerned by negativity about France’s playing style under Deschamps.
“I come, I play, I try to do my best, I try to help the team,” he said in a press conference. “What people think (about the style) is the least of my worries.
“We always try to give our best. We’ve always tried to give the best possible version of the French team out of respect for the admiration we have for this shirt and this logo. You know, in football you can’t please everyone.
“What’s important now is what we do well and what we don’t do badly, and that we don’t live on a planet apart. As for the rest, we can leave the discussions because there will always be some. From now on, we’ll just concentrate on playing and getting better every day.”
Deschamps later said, “For different reasons, Kylian wasn’t in the best condition psychologically during the last international camp (in September).”
After a long and dramatic soap opera, Madrid and Mbappe seemed to get their fairytale ending when he was greeted by around 80,000 fans in the Spanish capital in June.
In his first start for the club, he scored in the European Super Cup against Serie A side Atalanta, picking up his first title at Madrid in the process.
Few could have predicted the situation Mbappe finds himself in now.
The forward is on a four-match run without a goal, during which time Madrid have been dismantled at the Bernabeu by Barcelona and AC Milan. At the start of the league season, he went three games without scoring, too, which prompted him to say, “Three games for many people is not much, but for me it’s a lot”.
Carlo Ancelotti and his staff have shown confidence in public and in private that the striker will show his true level, and argue that adaptation works both ways — for the player and team.
Mbappe is playing through the middle, with Vinicius Junior starting on the left (the position that Mbappe prefers). Asked if he considered swapping them, Ancelotti said: “No, because I don’t want to change the player who makes the difference”. This gave a clear indication of Mbappe’s position in the pecking order at Madrid — behind the Ballon d’Or runner-up Vinicius Jr.
There have been familiar concerns about his work off the ball too, something that at times hindered PSG’s play in crucial matches during his time there. There is some surprise among staff and people close to some players at Real Madrid — who spoke anonymously to protect relationships — that, unlike most elite players, Mbappe does not employ a personal trainer to help find a physical edge.
An important part of Mbappe’s timeline this season is the October international break.
Left out of the France squad by Deschamps for the matches against Israel on October 10 and Belgium on October 14 because of fitness concerns, Mbappe was granted days off by Madrid and travelled to Stockholm with friends and family.
Reports in the Swedish media then emerged linking Mbappe to an alleged rape at a hotel in central Stockholm on October 10.
Mbappe wrote “FAKE NEWS!!!” in a post on X, referencing one of several articles that were published, and his lawyer said the Madrid striker believes he has “nothing to be reproached for”.
When asked about the reports, Ancelotti said: “I am not here to comment on speculation. I see the player every day, he works very well, he is happy, he is content and I don’t see him affected at all.”
The Athletic contacted Mbappe’s legal team, who said: “All necessary legal actions will be taken to establish the truth and pursue each person or media outlet implicated in the moral harassment and defamatory treatment that Kylian Mbappe repeatedly suffers.”
Mbappe remains in a legal battle with PSG over unpaid wages. In late October, the Ligue de Football Professionnel (LFP) ruled that the club owes the player €55million (£46.4m; $60.6m) in unpaid salary and bonuses. PSG are contesting this and the case is set to go to an employment tribunal.
Last week, when Deschamps named his France squad for the games against Israel and Italy, it came as a surprise that Mbappe was missing, even given his hit-and-miss form for Madrid.
“I’ve had several conversations with him, I’ve thought about it and I’ve made this decision for this training camp,” Deschamps said in his press conference. “It’s better this way. I’m not going to argue.
“I can tell you two things: Kylian wanted to come, and it’s not the extra-sporting problems that come into play as long as there is the presumption of innocence. It’s a punctual choice for this training camp, with two matches ahead of us.”
Real Madrid said that the decision had been agreed after talks between Deschamps and Mbappe, and that they were fine with it. The club fear their players suffering injuries during international breaks, and felt this would protect Mbappe.
When Madrid manager Ancelotti was asked about it in a press conference, he said: “I have not and will not talk to him about this issue, it is a matter with the national team coach that I do not have the right to judge.
“He (Deschamps) has taken this decision and we have to accept it. Mbappe is well, motivated, sunk like everyone else (by poor results) and motivated to move forward this moment.”
Speaking to Le Parisien, FFF president Diallo said that Mbappe’s absence was a result of talks between Deschamps and the player, and something he “obviously respected”. “Mbappe is one of the best in the world, he is going through a somewhat complicated moment,” he said.
Inevitably, his international team-mates have been drawn into this too. Ibrahima Konate, the Liverpool and France centre-back, told Canal Football Club: “When he is with us, the journalists, everyone is around him. Mbappe’s position in today’s world is exceptional. I often tell him, ‘I want your level of football, but I don’t want your life’. He has done tremendous things with us and everyone is aware of that.”
And Bayern Munich defender Dayot Upamecano said: “We mustn’t forget what Kylian has done for the French team. We lack a bit of gratitude towards him and I hope to see him again very soon.
“We’re human beings and the mental aspect is very important for us as footballers. I won’t go into details, but as I said, he’s our captain, and I hope he’ll be back with us soon. He’s very important to us.”
On Tuesday, L’Equipe published a report, citing sources close to the player, which said that Mbappe had been suffering from “mental problems” and that he had sought help from specialists.
When contacted by The Athletic, separate sources close to the player, one at Madrid and one at a personal level, dismissed the contents of the report. They were speaking anonymously to protect relationships.
On Wednesday, before the following day’s match against Israel, Deschamps was asked again about Mbappe’s absence and the reason behind it.
“Listen, I told you what I told you,” he said. “You are free to speak, and interpret that. I have a game tomorrow. There are 23 players here. Kylian isn’t here — please leave him alone.”
Against Israel, the 23 players who were available to Deschamps struggled. Despite dominating possession and having 24 shots at goal — eight on target — France failed to find a breakthrough, and the game finished goalless at the Stade de France. France’s attack, undeniably, missed Mbappe.
Rumours had been circling that he was left out this time because he went partying in Sweden when not part of the squad in October. But when asked after the Israel game, Deschamps said: “There is no sanction.
“It’s a fact that he’s in a complicated situation. I’m behind him. He is going through a period that is not the happiest of his career. He wanted to come, I repeat. But I think it’s better right now for him.
“Everyone has the right to have a complicated period, there is the physical, psychological aspect.
“There are always interpretations, whether I speak or not. I am careful to weigh my words, but I do not want to fuel debates that lead nowhere. He’s not here.”
On Sunday night, France face Italy in the Nations League and the squad will not meet up again until March.
Some French reports have suggested the forward may not return while Deschamps remains at the helm. Neither the FFF nor Deschamps’ entourage responded when contacted on this by The Athletic, but in public FFF president Diallo and Deschamps continue to insist that all is well.
“I have no doubts about his total involvement, nor about his behaviour as captain and towards the group,” Diallo told Le Parisien this week. “The only wish I have is for him to return as soon as possible to his position, at the head of the France national team.”
Mbappe clearly remains the golden boy of French football; the one on whom they will pin most of their hopes leading up to the 2026 World Cup.
But the relationship has never been plain sailing.
(Photos: Getty Images/Design: Meech Robinson)
