France captain Kylian Mbappe is under fire in his own country for missing Les Bleus’ Nations League games against Israel and Belgium while available to play for Real Madrid.
The attacker had a muscular injury last month but returned to the pitch in the Champions League last Wednesday.
Didier Deschamps, France’s coach, kept Mbappe out of the squad he unveiled on Thursday, citing a lack of preparation and insufficient playing time.
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Mbappe started Real’s La Liga match against Villarreal on Saturday.
“Either you’re injured, you don’t play with your club, and you’re not called up to the national team,” former France international Maxime Bossis told French sports newspaper L’Equipe on Monday.
“But when you come off the bench in the Champions League and start a league game, things become hazy. He is a fantastic player. We knew that with Michel Platini, when we still wanted him with us despite his injury.”
Mbappe’s predicament is compounded by the fact that he is the national team captain, having been appointed ahead of Antoine Griezmann, who announced his retirement from international football last week.
Griezmann’s dedication to Les Bleus was undeniable, as the Atletico Madrid attacker appeared in 84 consecutive matches for France between 2017 and 2024.
“As a captain (Mbappe) must be an example for the fans, and he has not been,” Fabien Bonnet, spokeswoman for the Irresistibles Francais, the primary France supporters’ group, told L’Equipe.
“What emerges is that the real captain, Antoine Griezmann, is gone.”
France, second in Group A, face Israel in Budapest on Thursday and travel to Belgium next Monday.
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