Kylian Mbappe’s fitness reportedly sparks Real Madrid–France tug-of-war ahead of 2026 FIFA World Cup

The physical condition of Kylian Mbappe has been Real Madrid’s main concern for months, considering the impact he has on the field. The France national team, meanwhile, is closely monitoring every step of the forward’s recovery, hoping he will arrive in top shape for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

The 27-year-old striker has missed three consecutive matches for Real Madrid while trying to recover from a knee injury. With the UEFA Champions League round-of-16 clash against Manchester City approaching, Alvaro Arbeloa shared an optimistic update regarding Mbappe’s recovery.

“He is much better. It is something to take day by day. This whole week has been very positive, he has returned with great sensations and every day he is better. We are expecting him back very soon,” the coach said on Tuesday. However, that optimism reportedly clashes with the more cautious stance of France.

“While Real Madrid are pushing to have him available as soon as possible, the French federation insist he should not rush his recovery and risk a more serious injury that could compromise his participation in the World Cup next summer,” reports Sport.

For that reason, in fact, Didier Deschamps decided he will not include the striker in the squad for the March friendlies against Brazil and Colombia in the United States. Mbappe will still travel anyway, according to reports, to fulfill commercial commitments with the France national team.

Mbappe’s injury has been ongoing

Kylian Mbappe’s knee problems began in the final days of 2025 and started affecting Real Madrid’s day-to-day plans in early January. In fact, the striker missed the first match of the year against Real Betis in La Liga because of that issue, and in the following days he was also absent from a match in the Spanish Super Cup and another in the Copa del Rey.

After that, Mbappe played several games for Los Blancos in which, although it was clear the physical issue limited him, he still showed his quality with important goals that helped keep the team alive in La Liga and the UEFA Champions League.

However, starting with the second leg of the European competition’s playoff tie against Benfica, the French striker was ultimately ruled out of Arbeloa’s plans, and the same happened in the last two La Liga matches. Adding more drama to the situation, Kylian decided to seek medical advice outside Real Madrid’s team of specialists.

The World Cup is getting closer

All of this is happening with the 2026 FIFA World Cup drawing ever closer. Just over three months separate France from their debut in the tournament against Senegal on June 16, leaving a narrow window for players to reach peak fitness.

At this point, France know that an injury to Mbappe during the final stretch of the 2025–26 season with Real Madrid could ultimately rule him out of the World Cup, which would be a major blow to the national team’s chances.