Kylian Mbappé, who has been finding it challenging to perform at his best with Real Madrid, has once again been excluded from the France national team. On Thursday, coach Didier Deschamps announced the squad for the upcoming Nations League matches against Israel and Italy, and Mbappé’s name was noticeably absent. He had missed the previous team gathering due to a minor thigh injury, but Deschamps clarified that this time it was not an injury keeping him out, as Mbappé expressed a desire to be selected.
Deschamps, while addressing the decision, emphasized that he holds responsibility for team selections. He refrained from providing detailed reasons for excluding the star player, though he noted it wasn’t related to recent media allegations from Sweden indicating that the former Paris Saint-Germain athlete was under a rape investigation. “I’m not going to argue,” Deschamps stated. “What I can share are two facts. First, Kylian wanted to join us. Second, these additional issues are not a factor because the presumption of innocence must prevail. This is simply a singular choice for this gathering.”
Recently, Mbappé’s performances have not met expectations following his transfer to Madrid from PSG this summer. His struggle to assimilate into the team’s playing style has paralleled Madrid’s overall difficulties on the pitch, including a lackluster showing during a 4-0 defeat to Barcelona last month and minimal impact in a 3-1 loss against AC Milan in Champions League action earlier this week. Since June, Mbappé has not added to his tally of 48 goals for the French national team.
The controversy surrounding his omission from the squad last month was heightened when he played in a Spanish league match for Madrid just days later, igniting criticism from fans. During his absence from national duties, as France secured victories over Israel and Belgium in the Nations League, Mbappé traveled to Stockholm. Following his visit, Swedish outlets reported that he was the subject of a rape investigation; however, his legal team quickly dismissed the claims as untrue. In a brief statement, Swedish prosecutors acknowledged that a rape had been reported, but they did not release the names of any suspects involved.
The French team is set to face Israel in Paris on November 14, before heading to Italy three days later.