France perfectly negotiated its third meeting of the 2026 World Cup qualifiers. At the Parc des Princes, the Blues quietly disposed of Azerbaijan (3-0), confirming their domination in the group and an ideal start towards qualification. Kylian Mbappé, once again captain and decisive, opened the scoring with an exceptional individual action before delivering an assist for Adrien Rabiot. But the evening ended on a much more worrying note. Hit in the right ankle, the French number 10 had to give up his place in the 82nd minute. A scenario that made people cringe in Spain.
Indeed, Kylian Mbappé had already arrived diminished at Clairefontaine. The Blues captain suffered from persistent pain in his right ankle, contracted a week earlier during the league match between Real Madrid and Villarreal. Even if he had reassured everyone before the meeting, the pill did not pass in Madrid: “I want to play, the selection is the most important thing” he confided. His exit at the end of the match sowed doubt. Didier Deschamps confirmed at a press conference that “the pain in the foot was quite severe”and after examination, the medical staff decided to release Bondy's crack, who will leave the rally to return to Madrid and continue his recovery. He will therefore miss the Blues' trip to Iceland on Monday evening.
The Madrid press is furious
In Spain, the press has a very squeaky pen this Saturday morning. For A.S., “Kylian Mbappé left the French selection to return to Madrid injured in his right ankle”. The Madrid daily recalls that “the Real Madrid striker had arrived convalescing and trained separately until the day before the match”. The newspaper emphasizes that it “played 80 minutes without showing pain, before asking for a change after a blow received”but criticizes Deschamps and the French Federation for having taken an unnecessary risk: “He should have been spared, not exposed in a largely controlled match. » A barely veiled criticism which testifies to the annoyance of Real Madrid, worried to see its star return to the club with the same ankle affected as before the break, even though Casa Blanca will soon face Juventus, FC Barcelona, Valencia and even Liverpool.
For his part, Marca chose a more admiring tone… before slipping into frustration. The Madrid newspaper talks about a Mbappé “still ten out of ten with France”author of a genius goal “worthy of the Louvre” and the start of the season “simply exceptional” with 17 achievements in all competitions. But the end of his paper sounds like a warning: “With ten minutes to go, he gestured towards the bench to signal that he could no longer continue. » Spain is therefore holding its breath. Between admiration and anger, the Iberian media oscillate between recognition of Mbappé's talent and fear of a premature return in a match deemed to have little at stake.
In a few hours, the debate has inflamed Madrid, even though Real Madrid has not yet reacted publicly, because the country's press has already decided. For her, France took a risk “irresponsible” with its jewel, which is reminiscent of the standoff that began between the FFF and PSG last September, or even between Barça and the RFEF in recent weeks. An episode which risks further straining relations between Real and the French selection, even though Kylian Mbappé had never seemed so essential to both.
