Former Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé wasn’t called up for the UEFA Nations League matches against Israel and Belgium this FIFA international window in October.
However, the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner has faced further criticism after reports emerged that he had been spotted in a nightclub in Sweden on the night France secured a UEFA Nations League win over Israel.
Despite missing their captain, France secured two wins in this window. The latest contest was a 2-1 win over Belgium, with PSG’s Randal Kolo Muani scoring a brace.
Although Les Bleus should have been able to win without the 25-year-old, one pundit believes it was a mistake to hand the forward the captaincy even though he initially thought it was the right decision.
“If I were in Deschamps’ position with Mbappé, I think I’d have done the same thing,” RMC Sport’s Daniel Riolo said (h/t Le10Sport). “But now, looking back, I realize making him captain was a mistake. As for PSG, though, I wouldn’t have handled it like Nasser Al-Khelaifi.
“I wouldn’t have given Mbappé that much power, rejected the offers, or stopped him from leaving. But with Deschamps and the captaincy, I probably would’ve made the same call—and gotten it wrong.”
It will be interesting to see if captaincy remains an issue when the November FIFA window opens and whether Mbappé intends to play in those matches for France.
