This is the type of news that nobody would have seen coming. But if reports are accurate then we might not see Kylian Mbappe in a French national team shirt anytime soon. Things just do not seem to be going his way since joining Real Madrid in the summer and now, it looks like there are question marks over his future at the international level.
Mbappe’s exclusion from the French national team squad for the second consecutive time has led to speculation over his future with Les Bleus. And now, more rumours are emerging about the situation.
As reported by GOAL, according to Romain Molina, Mbappe's decision has been influenced by the ongoing tensions between him and Didier Deschamps. The French World Cup winner has vowed not to return to Clairefontaine as his relationship with the manager is "fractious".
If accurate, this could shake up international football. France have been to two straight World Cup finals with Deschamps as their manager and Mbappe as the face of the team.
Kylian Mbappe quits France amid struggles at Real Madrid
There are a few ways that this could play out. The most likely path seems to be for Mbappe and Deschamps to sort out the issues away from the media. That might be the best step for the France national team.
If that does not happen, it is quite likely that Deschamps' time as France manager will come to an end in the not too distant future. One cannot simply see them leave Mbappe, one of the biggest superstars in world football, out of the national team for long.
If Deschamps were to be shown the exit door, France would not have any issue replacing him with a world-class manager. That is because Zinedine Zidane has remained without a team since leaving Real Madrid in the summer of 2021.