French football journalist Daniel Riolo has suggested that France coach Didier Deschamps dropped Kylian Mbappé from the national team squad as a form of punishment.
Since making his debut for France in March 2017, Mbappé has played 86 matches for Les Bleus, scoring 48 goals and providing 35 assists. He helped France win the 2018 World Cup and reached the final again in 2022. Despite being handed the captain’s armband, Mbappé’s regular inclusion in the national team has been in question recently.
Although Mbappé was not included in France’s squad in October, many expected him to return for the November fixtures. However, Deschamps did not call him up, explaining that it was a “one-off” decision and clarifying that it was unrelated to the accusations of rape he faced in Sweden.
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Riolo, however, believes that the exclusion is a punishment. He stated in an interview with Tribal Football:
“It’s a punishment, it’s a sanction! He doesn’t say it because he doesn’t want to make it too clear or damage the relationship too much. We were sure he would return. There was no one in his entourage. For now, I think Deschamps’ decision is fair and justified.”