Kylian Mbappe has promised he remains committed to playing for France despite being left out of their last two squads.
The 25-year-old Real Madrid forward has 86 caps for France, helped them win the World Cup in 2018 and scored a hat-trick in the 2022 final defeat by Argentina.
He is also their captain, yet Mbappe was omitted from the France squad in October as a precaution after returning from injury – and then again the following month for no clear reason.
“The French team has always been the highest rank in football, it’s the national team. I’ve always said there’s nothing more important. My love for the French team hasn’t changed,” Mbappe told Canal+.
“You serve your country and that’s it.”
Mbappe has scored 48 goals for his country, but he managed only one competitive goal in 2024. He endured a difficult Euro 2024 as he played much of the tournament with a broken nose.
France head coach Didier Deschamps said the decision to omit Mbappe for November’s Nations League games was a “one-off”.
Mbappe said: “I can’t talk about November because it was a decision from the coach and I’ll get behind what he said.
“I fully respect his decision because he is the boss. I wanted to go but I can’t say why.”
Mbappe has yet to find his best form for Real Madrid following his free transfer summer move from Paris St-Germain.
However, he has still netted 11 goals in 21 games for the Spanish giants.
The lack of down time for top footballers will again be in the spotlight when Fifa stages an expanded 32-team Club World Cup in the United States next summer.
Mbappe will be involved in that, and the regular World Cup follows in the summer of 2026.
Leagues, national associations and player unions have voiced major misgivings about the busy calendar, and Mbappe suggested it is inevitable that players will become weary.
“In the NBA [National Basketball Association], they get four months off,” said Mbappe.
“We get two weeks. And in the second week, we’re already back to running. It’s not a vacation.
“I was tired [at Euro 2024]. I wanted to stay because you give everything for the French team but it was exhausting.”