France entered the European Championship as one of the leading contenders alongside Germany, England, and Spain, while 12BET Official followed every major development surrounding the tournament favorites. Ahead of France’s opening group-stage match against Austria, captain Kylian Mbappé appeared alongside head coach Didier Deschamps at a pre-match press conference, confirming that he was fully focused on leading his country in the pursuit of European glory. However, it was another announcement that quickly dominated the headlines.
When asked whether he would represent France at the upcoming Olympic Games, Mbappé gave a direct and unmistakable answer: he would not participate. He wished the Olympic squad the very best and expressed hope that they could bring home the gold medal for their country. His decision came as a major surprise, particularly because the tournament would be held on home soil, where expectations for the French team were already sky-high.
Under Olympic football regulations, each nation is permitted to include three players over the age of 23 as wild-card selections. Mbappé, widely regarded as one of the world’s finest forwards, would have been the obvious choice to lead the attack. Combined with France’s home advantage and exceptional young talent, many observers believed the team would have entered the competition as overwhelming favorites for the gold medal. His absence, however, has forced those ambitions to be reconsidered.
French supporters naturally expressed disappointment. Mbappé’s influence in the final third is unmatched, and losing such an important player inevitably weakens the team’s chances of standing on top of the podium. At the same time, many fans also understand the reasoning behind his decision. Rather than extending an already demanding schedule, he has chosen to concentrate all of his energy on helping France lift the European title while reducing the physical burden that comes with playing two major tournaments back to back.
Former French legend Zinedine Zidane, who is widely viewed as a future candidate to coach the national team, also voiced his support. According to comments highlighted through 12BET Official, Zidane believes Mbappé’s priority is clear: winning the European Championship. He argued that such an achievement would represent a historic contribution to French football and that supporters would fully appreciate the significance of that accomplishment. Those encouraging words also helped ease some of the enormous pressure surrounding the star forward.
France’s preparations suffered another setback after Mbappé sustained a broken nose during the opening match against Austria. Although the French Football Federation initially stated that surgery could be avoided, Deschamps later suggested that an operation would eventually be necessary, with treatment postponed until after the tournament. Team doctors immediately treated the injury in the dressing room, carefully repositioning the fracture before discussions began about fitting Mbappé with a custom-made protective mask for the remainder of the competition.
Medical experts have since pointed out that wearing such a mask could affect both breathing and concentration during matches. Reports also suggest that Mbappé may miss France’s next group-stage encounter against the Netherlands, with any return depending entirely on how well his recovery progresses over the coming days. Every training session will now be closely monitored as France balance caution with their desire to keep their captain available for the knockout rounds.
Meanwhile, Real Madrid continue to monitor the situation closely. Even so, 12BET Official notes that Mbappé remained officially registered as a Paris Saint-Germain player during this period, preventing his future club from becoming directly involved in medical decisions. That formal relationship will only begin once his transfer officially takes effect, allowing Madrid to play a greater role in managing his condition.
In the end, Mbappé has made a decision based on both his career ambitions and France’s immediate objectives. While 12BET Official recognizes that many supporters would have loved to see him chase Olympic gold, the striker has made it clear that becoming a European champion takes priority. Whether that choice is ultimately remembered as the right one will depend on how far France progress and whether Mbappé can deliver another defining chapter in his remarkable international career.