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Kylian Mbappé will miss France’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland on Monday after aggravating an existing right ankle injury, the French Football Federation (FFF) has confirmed. The decision means the French captain will be unavailable as Les Bleus look to seal 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, suffered two further knocks during France’s 3–0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday in Paris. Although he scored the opening goal, 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 setback adds to France’s growing list of absentees in attack for October’s qualifiers. Ousmane Dembélé, Désiré Doué, Marcus Thuram, and Bradley Barcola are all sidelined, leaving Deschamps with limited attacking options.
Mbappé had already been rested for parts of training during the week. He 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 scored France’s third goal.
Speaking after the victory, Deschamps confirmed the extent of Mbappé’s discomfort:
“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 Thauvin also on the scoresheet in Friday’s win. The reigning World Cup finalists will secure their place at the 2026 tournament — to be hosted 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, with Real Madrid’s medical staff expected to monitor him closely to avoid any further aggravation of the injury.
