Kylian Mbappé once again led France to World Cup qualification with an almost flawless run through the UEFA 2026 qualifiers, but his role as a locker-room leader remains far from settled. After Didier Deschamps released the star forward from international duty, Mbappé has drawn criticism as reports suggest some France players are growing frustrated with what they view as preferential treatment.
France entered the November international break looking to secure its ticket to the 2026 World Cup, a mission accomplished in Matchday 1 with a dominant 4–0 win over Ukraine in which Mbappé scored twice. But ahead of the trip to Azerbaijan, news broke that Mbappé, along with Eduardo Camavinga and Manu Koné, had been released from the squad.
The French FA issued a statement explaining the absences, noting Koné’s suspension and injuries for the two Real Madrid players. Camavinga was dealing with tightness in his left hamstring, while Mbappé continued to feel inflammation in his right ankle, an issue requiring further testing.
Deschamps defended his decision in his pre-match press conference, clarifying the move was precautionary: “I felt there was no risk worth taking because we’re already qualified. Just as was the case earlier with Eduardo Camavinga, who should have been available for tomorrow’s match.”
Kylian Mbappe of France against Ukraine.
Despite their minor setbacks, Real Madrid staff expect both Mbappé and Camavinga to be available for Sunday’s match against Elche. While that is welcome news for the club, it has stirred frustration among some supporters, who believe certain players show less commitment to the national team than others.
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Even without Mbappé, who sits just two goals behind Olivier Giroud on France’s all-time scoring chart, Les Bleus defeated Azerbaijan 3–1 to finish atop Group D with 16 points. Still, despite France’s nearly perfect qualifying campaign, Mbappé did not escape criticism.
Former PSG player Jérôme Rothen, host of Rothen S’enflamme, highlighted what he described as a tense atmosphere within the squad and pointed directly at the star’s preferential treatment: “Mbappé is the captain of the French national team, he gets special treatment, fine. But he has teammates. Do you really think that all those going to Baku, those who play as much or more than Mbappé throughout the year, aren’t tired and don’t also want to skip this meaningless match? No. But they go because they have to go.“
Rothen went on to warn that decisions like this can create divisions within the group. “When you’re winning, nobody questions it, but the moment results stop going your way, these things can create tensions that are hard to control. Making decisions like this can cause problems in the locker room, and I remain convinced that there are players who are fed up with this preferential treatment,” he concluded.
