Kylian Mbappé returns to French national squad for the Nations League quarter-finals

More good news for Kylian Mbappé. After yesterday's victory over Atlético (which, despite playing with some pains from previous games, ended the 120 minutes and scored his goal in the penalty shootout), Mbappé has been called for the next batch of international games with France. This comes after two international breaks in a row (October and November 2024) where Mbappé was left out, which led to discussions about the Real Madrid star and World Champion commitment to 'les Bleus'.

Mbappé's abscence from the squad in October was explained by some pain from his first games with Real Madrid. However, Mbappé was seen in holiday in Stockholm the same day France was playing a match against Israel. What is worse, Mbappé was indirectly linked in a rape case on the hotel he stayed (although the investigation was closed due to lack of conclusive evidence and Mbappé was never mentioned as involed). That led to him being absent from November's call, with contradicting accounts from Mbappé and manager Didier Deschamps.

Five months later, Mbappé will join French squad for two big games on March 20 and 23: the Nations League quarter-finals against Croatia, and also part of the World Cup 2026 qualifiers. Didier Deschamps has included Mpbappé's name in the list for the Equipe de France, and it is likely he will be given captaincy again. Mbappé will join former PSG colleague Dembélé or Barcola, as well as Real Madrid teammates Camavinga and Tchouaméni.