According to French Football Federation (FFF) President Philippe Diallo, Kylian Mbappe still loves the national team despite not being present for two consecutive training sessions.
Mbappe has struggled to adapt to the centre-forward role at Real Madrid. The former PSG star scored eight goals in his first 12 games, before failing to score in the last four. The left wing, where Mbappe scored the majority of his 256 goals for PSG and 48 for France, is now occupied by Vinicius.
Not only that, Mbappe also had to endure criticism from the French public. Many opinions said that the national team captain was too arrogant when refusing to play the Nations League in October and November. However, coach Didier Deschamps and FFF President Diallo both defended the player. “Kylian is going through a difficult period,” Diallo added. “Every time I talk to him, I always see that he loves and respects the team. I have never doubted his commitment and his behavior.”
Diallo admitted that Mbappe may be losing form at his club. He hopes the difficulties will soon pass and the captain will return to lead the national team, and said that the last time he spoke to Mbappe was at Euro 2024 and then only discussed with coach Deschamps about the situation of the players.
“I have a close relationship with Didier so I am informed about the conversations between them as well as Didier’s thoughts,” Diallo added.
Mbappe also struggled when he tried playing centre forward for PSG and France. At the recent Euros, he only scored one goal, from the penalty spot, before the team stopped in the semi-finals.
Many experts have mixed opinions about what is happening at Real. According to Karim Benzema and Thierry Henry, Mbappe should forget about the left wing and learn to play as a center forward. But commentator Daniel Riolo believes that the former PSG star is only suited to the left wing, so he would rather sit on the bench than play as a center forward.
Vinicius is now considered the best player in his position. The Brazilian forward has been instrumental in two Champions League and two La Liga titles under Carlo Ancelotti. This year, Vinicius finished second in the Ballon d’Or race with 1,129 points, just 41 behind Rodri, while Mbappe finished sixth with 420 points.