Kylian Mbappé Returns to Lead France Against Croatia: A Journey of Reflection and Redemption
PARIS — The spotlight is once again on Kylian Mbappé as he makes his much-anticipated return to the French national team. After a six-month hiatus, the Real Madrid star is set to lead France against Croatia in the first leg of a Nations League quarterfinal on Thursday. The return leg is scheduled for Sunday at Stade de France.
Mbappé’s return marks his first start for France since a 3-1 loss to Italy on September 6, a match that took place at Parc des Princes, the home of his former club Paris Saint-Germain. Reflecting on his past performances, Mbappé candidly admitted, “I am lucid enough to know what I do well and what I don’t do well. I know people were not happy with what I was doing on and off the field, and I wasn’t doing them well.”
Back in September, Mbappé faced criticism for his subpar performances both for Madrid and the national team. At the time, he dismissed public opinion, stating that people’s opinions about him were “the least of my worries.” He also expressed indifference towards the reception he might receive at PSG’s stadium, following a tense departure from the club.
However, six months later, Mbappé has had a change of heart, acknowledging that some of the criticism was indeed valid. “I didn’t play well against Italy and my [pre-match] news conference didn’t please people, because as captain I didn’t bring people together,” he admitted. “I accept that, but now the most important thing is to move forward and not to repeat the same mistakes.”
At 26, Mbappé is already third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals. Despite this impressive record, he has only found the net in two of his past 12 international games. There were doubts about whether he would retain the captaincy, but after discussions with coach Didier Deschamps, he continues to lead the team.
Last November, Mbappé was left out of Nations League matches against Israel and Italy. Deschamps explained that it was “better that way” given Mbappé’s physical and mental struggles at the time. Additionally, a minor thigh injury kept him from a previous gathering, although he continued to play for Real Madrid, which angered many France fans and raised questions about his priorities between club and country.
Despite a rocky start to his Madrid career, Mbappé has found his form, scoring 31 goals in 44 games this season. “I am feeling good, I feel happy to play football,” he said. “I am happy to be here to help the [France] team.”
Mbappé is set to reunite in attack with PSG forward Ousmane Dembélé, the French league’s top scorer. Both players have already reached 30 goals overall this season. While Mbappé has achieved this feat for the seventh consecutive time, Dembélé has done so for the first time. “He’s another string to our bow,” Mbappé said of Dembélé, who is also a close friend. “When you see his current form it gives us even more options, it makes us even more unpredictable for the opponent.”
As they prepare to face Croatia, Mbappé is optimistic about their partnership. “We just need to combine properly,” he said. “But we know each other off by heart and we want to play together.” However, Dembélé has some catching up to do, with just six international goals in 53 games.
- Mbappé is third on France’s all-time scoring list with 48 goals.
- He has scored in only two of his past 12 international games.
- Mbappé has 31 goals in 44 games this season for Real Madrid.
- Ousmane Dembélé is the French league’s top scorer with 30 goals this season.
Originally Written by: Associated Press
