November 12
Kylian Mbappé, the French national team star, has decided to respond to the criticism directed at him over the past few hours in his own way.
Kylian Mbappé, the French national team star, has decided to respond to the criticism directed at him over the past few hours in his own way.
Mbappé dominated media attention yesterday, on the eve of France’s UEFA Nations League match against Italy.
Yesterday, French newspapers began publishing reports suggesting that the relationship between the French national team captain and his new coach, Zinedine Zidane, might not be as ideal as it had appeared.
The situation developed further when the French Football Federation announced that Kylian Mbappé would miss training.
Initial reports indicated that the Real Madrid forward was "receiving treatment," followed by claims that he was suffering from a hamstring strain. The speculation concluded with the confirmation that the player—who wears the number 10 jersey for France—would miss tonight’s match, though he remains with the national team squad.
The crisis intensified following reports that Mbappé had wished to return to Madrid—with his private jet allegedly waiting for him—only for Zidane to block the move.
Mbappé did not wait long to address these rumors; on Thursday, he posted a photo on his Instagram account showing himself boarding a plane while wearing the official French national team kit, en route to Italy.
He provided no caption, simply including the Italian flag to indicate his arrival in the country alongside the French national team delegation.
Controversy Surrounding the Relationship Between Zidane and Mbappé
Kylian Mbappé’s absence from the French team’s training session ahead of the match against Italy was more than just a routine medical update. The timing proved highly sensitive within the French camp, as French media reported tension between the team captain and coach Zinedine Zidane. These reports point to disagreements regarding Mbappé’s position on the pitch and how he is being utilized, alongside a less-than-ideal atmosphere within the dressing room. The roots of the tension trace back to the first training camp under Zidane’s leadership, when he decided to deploy Mbappé on the left wing while positioning Ousmane Dembélé as the central striker. This decision was interpreted as a shift in the Madrid star’s role within the attacking setup—a significant point, given that he has recently expressed a clear preference for playing as an out-and-out center-forward.
While Zidane had hoped to rely on his star player for the decisive UEFA Nations League clashes against Italy and Turkey, news emerged that Mbappé is suffering from a hamstring issue. This has effectively ruled him out of the match against Italy, though there remains a slim hope that he might recover in time to face Turkey.
France’s Qualification Scenarios
France heads into Thursday evening’s match against Italy in Milan with multiple objectives. The encounter is not merely a battle between the top two teams in Group 1 of the UEFA Nations League; it is also a chance to secure a spot in the quarter-finals, with the possibility of finishing the group stage at the top of the table before the final round of matches.
Under the guidance of Zinedine Zidane, the French side holds a clear advantage in the group standings, having collected 10 points from four matches—compared to 7 for Italy and 6 for Belgium—while Turkey sits at the bottom of the table with zero points.
The previous encounter between France and Italy ended in a 1-1 draw—a match marked by an error from Lucas Da Cunha that led to Italy’s equalizer. As they approach Thursday’s fixture, the French team’s primary focus is to guarantee their progression to the quarter-finals, with the goal of clinching the top spot in the group as a secondary objective. The French national team holds its fate in its own hands; a draw against Italy would be enough to ensure a top-two finish in the group, thereby securing a spot in the UEFA Nations League quarter-finals without needing to wait for the outcome of the final round, according to a report by the French network RMC.
This comes amid a direct contest between Italy and Belgium for the second qualifying spot—the two sides are set to face each other this coming Sunday in Brussels—meaning that a single point for France at the San Siro would be sufficient to avoid any complicated qualification scenarios.
