Kylian Mbappé will miss France’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Monday after aggravating an existing injury to his right ankle, the French Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed. The decision means the French captain will not be available as Les Bleus aim to secure their qualification for the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
Mbappé, who has been nursing what the FFF described as a “small niggle” in his right ankle sustained while playing for Real Madrid, took two additional knocks during France’s 3-0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday in Paris. Although he scored the opening goal of the match, the 26-year-old forward was substituted before the final whistle after appearing in visible discomfort.
In an official statement, the FFF said, “Kylian Mbappé will not be able to play Monday against Iceland. After discussions with coach Didier Deschamps, the captain has been released to his club (Real Madrid) and will not be replaced.”
The injury adds to a growing list of absentees in France’s forward line for October’s qualifiers. Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Marcus Thuram, and Bradley Barcola are also sidelined, leaving Deschamps with limited attacking options.
Mbappé, who had already been rested for parts of training during the week, was struck twice on the same ankle in the match against Azerbaijan, first by a tackle from Rustam Ahmedzade shortly before halftime and again late in the game. Following the second challenge, he was replaced by Florian Thauvin, who later went on to score.
Speaking after the victory, Didier Deschamps confirmed the extent of Mbappé’s discomfort, saying, “He has a sore ankle and he took a knock there. He preferred to come off; the pain was quite significant.”
France remain unbeaten in Group D after three matches, with Adrien Rabiot and Florian Thauvin also finding the net in Friday’s win. The reigning World Cup finalists will qualify for the 2026 tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico if they defeat Iceland on Monday and Ukraine fail to beat Azerbaijan.
For now, Mbappé will return to Madrid to continue his recovery ahead of Real Madrid’s upcoming fixtures, with the club expected to monitor the star forward closely to prevent further aggravation of the injury.
