For a long time, he remained silent about this episode, but Kylian Mbappé has now spoken candidly about one of the most difficult moments of his international career. The Real Madrid forward confirmed that he seriously considered ending his journey with the French national team after Euro 2020.
The turning point came with his missed penalty against Switzerland during UEFA Euro 2020, a failure that led to France’s elimination. In the aftermath, the player faced heavy criticism, along with particularly violent racist abuse that deeply affected his relationship with the national team.
A defining moment that reshaped his relationship with France
Speaking on the podcast The Bridge, Mbappé described a brutal shock: “I started being called a monkey… It changed my relationship with the national team.” The French international recalled a very dark period, describing himself as a “living dead” after the incident. At the time, those feelings pushed him toward a radical decision.
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The 2018 World Cup winner even stated that he had made his decision official to Noël Le Graët, then president of the French Football Federation. “I told him: I’m not playing anymore,” he explained, believing he could not represent supporters capable of such behavior. “I thought I can’t play for people who think like that. I told them: I’m going back to Paris, I don’t have a problem there.”
With hindsight, this episode profoundly transformed Mbappé’s relationship with the French national team. Between media pressure, immense expectations, and the violence of certain reactions, the forward had to endure a major emotional shock before ultimately continuing his journey in the blue jersey.
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