In recent months, Kylian Mbappe has faced challenges both with Real Madrid and France’s national team. His absence during the last international fixtures drew significant criticism from fans and pundits alike. However, the forward has recently addressed his commitment to his country.
“The French national team has always been the highest level of soccer. My love for the French national team hasn’t changed,” he told Clique TV in an interview. He also confirmed that he had requested a break from national team duties.
“I miss it because I haven’t been there for a long time. In September, I asked the coach not to call me up. I had just arrived in Madrid and had a very short vacation. The coach insisted that I go. After October, I got injured and wasn’t on the list. I spoke with them, and the coach told me it was better not to be called up. He’s the boss, and I follow his decisions. I wanted to go, but I can’t say why they didn’t call me,” he explained.
Mbappe also criticized the media’s portrayal of his relationship with the national team, as well as the fans: “At Euro 2021, they lied from start to finish. They called me a monkey and blamed me for some failures. It’s the French national team—I’ve always given my all. You serve your country, and that’s it. But they write just to write, to hurt you, to make you unhappy.”
Kylian Mbappe and Didier Deschamps (IMAGO)
He added, “I’ve always placed the French national team at the highest level. I did everything I could to represent it as well as possible. I broke my nose, and people still say I don’t care, that I focus more on Madrid than on France. But I won’t give up.”
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What Was Mbappé’s Controversy With France?
In October, Foot Mercato reported that Mbappe allegedly wanted to play only “important matches” for France to avoid injuries. The controversy intensified when he recovered quickly from a muscle injury—initially expected to sideline him for three weeks—and appeared for Real Madrid but not for France.
At the time, Deschamps stated that he had spoken with Mbappe and was “not going to take risks” with him. However, figures such as Maxime Bossis and Patrice Evra questioned the forward’s commitment to the national team. “Either you’re injured, and you don’t play for your club or your country. But when you come off the bench in the Champions League and start a league game, it creates confusion,” said Bossis ahead of France’s match against Israel.
