Kylian Mbappe will not feature for France during the international break this November as Les Bleus conclude their UEFA Nations League campaign against Israel and Italy. International football will be suspended until March next year ahead of a fresh start ahead of France’s FIFA 2026 World Cup qualifiers next week. But before that, coach Didier Deschamps will attempt to lead his players through the remaining two UNL games and decided to do so without captain Mbappe in October after a problematic September game.
“We had a number of discussions and we thought it was better this way, so we made this decision for this international camp,” the former World Cup-winning captain explained at a press conference last week after recently revealing his choice. “I will not argue. What I will say is two things. First, Kylian wanted to come. Second: It is not a matter other than sports that is at play here. There is a presumption of innocence. The choices I repeat are the following two: “It’s a one-off selection for the match.”
Deschamps’ words have been the subject of great speculation and discussion, but this week a source close to Mbappe told L’Equipe: “It is an inaccurate or incomplete truth. It is much more complicated and difficult to understand.” “The most important thing is that Kylian is back playing football.”
So how did we get to this point where France and Deschamps are making their choice without Mbappe, who has struggled so far at Real?
Real Madrid’s troubles
The 25-year-old’s time at the Santiago Bernabeu so far has been a major disappointment. Mbappe has been out of form and fit since arriving in the Spanish capital as a free agent from Paris Saint-Germain and arrives under a cloud after suffering a nose injury at UEFA Euro 2024 and being unable to represent his country at the Olympics. I did it. His new employer plays in his hometown. Eight goals and two assists so far isn’t bad statistically, but it’s unconvincing, aside from the four games he’s scored in every outing and the injuries thrown in there too have played a role in hindering that. The reunion of Kylian and his brother Ethan as Lille OSC surprisingly beat Real in the UEFA Champions League. There is hope that Mbappe will return to his best form at some point, but there is no guarantee that will happen this year.
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The former PSG and AS Monaco player captained the French side at a difficult moment when the team limped out of the Nations League and qualified for the semi-finals of UEFA Euro 2024 despite poor performance on the field and playing atrocious defense-oriented football. there is. Deschamps took power after the 2022 Qatar World Cup when Mbappe’s main rival, head coach and former key player Antoine Griezmann, retired after the likes of Hugo Lloris and Raphael Varane stepped down. is adhering to He is no longer considered the savior of French football as he is currently unable to replicate his best performances at both club and international level until 2023, and his stock has unsurprisingly fallen.
Deschamps, who prefers Bayern Munich’s Kingsley over replacing PSG’s Ousmane Dembele with Mbappe, added: “I know things will pick up again, but I won’t say more than that because we have the international break before two games.” Instead, just a nose. “I have set a course that we are sticking to and that includes giving playing time to less experienced youngsters who we were happy with last time out. We have dynamism in our play and we cannot forget that we are on a three-game winning streak. “No, it’s a place to advance to the quarterfinals and play first.”
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Like many other players, Mbappe has struggled to maintain his impressive form for club and country beyond the 2022 World Cup. His heroics at the time almost single-handedly prevented his then PSG team-mate Lionel Messi and Argentina from being crowned champions. publicly, The Frenchman welcomed the increased frequency of matches and the unsustainably high physical demands. It is deployed against players these days, but the reality of his performances both internationally and domestically shows a player struggling to keep up with the demands of not only Deschamps but also Carlo Ancelotti.
PSG and its problems off the pitch
Another distraction that Mbappe will have to contend with is the fact that his time at PSG is not yet far behind him. Disputes over contractual bonuses are becoming increasingly complex and acrimonious.. Not only are the reported playing sums alarming, but the reputation of players wanting to leave their home country as they are has been tarnished and appears to be getting worse with the current situation with Les Bleus. Especially Deschamps. There are many challenges beyond PSG that need to be addressed. Recent sexual assault allegations in Sweden That’s just part of the fact that his public opinion is plummeting and that he is struggling to get on the podium in this final competition, when he was expected to go from champion to future multiple Ballon d’Or winner to Real team-mate Vinicius Junior. Encouraged Real and Mbappe to skip the event.
Deschamps mentioned the Mbappe issue and emphasized, “I repeat that it is my decision because it is better this way.” “I understand that it may not be good enough for you (the media), but I am not involved in the debate that leads to interpretation. From there, I don’t want to tell you anything more. The responsibility for the decision lies with me and we discuss it. I won’t, I’ll talk to Kylian directly, I may not agree with you on certain topics, but it’s my responsibility to make a decision and I made it during this break.”
Can Mbappe rebound in 2025?
Realistically, Mbappe and France’s current distancing from each other is unlikely to continue until 2025 due to the UEFA nation’s start of 2026 World Cup qualification and potential qualification to the knockout stages of the Nations League. Gone are the days when players like Zlatan Ibrahimovic seem to be picking and choosing their chances of playing for their country. This is something Mbappe’s brand image in his home country cannot afford. Zinedine Zidane’s chances of playing in the World Cup in France are unlikely given Deschamps’ seemingly bulletproof status, which is further highlighted by the fact that Mbappe is currently playing a lot of his football outside of France.
