In a survey by Odoxa, the percentage of French fans supporting Kylian Mbappe is clearly decreasing, although it is still over half. Of the 1,000 people asked, 54% still support Mbappe (down 12% compared to 2019). When asked more specifically whether they still love the Real Madrid striker, only 58% of fans said yes (down from 80%).
Odoxa's survey may not be comprehensive, but it is a nuanced view of the numbers that show Mbappe's popularity is falling sharply. During the FIFA Days break in September, Mbappe was heavily criticised for saying that the French team's playing style was the issue he was least interested in.
"For various reasons, he has not been in the best condition during recent team gatherings" - Didier Deschamp shared.
Mbappe suffered a thigh injury in late September and was initially expected to be out until the end of FIFA Days in October. However, he was named in the starting line-up for the La Liga match against Villarreal in round 9 before being substituted. What angered many French fans was that Mbappe was told he was injured but still played for Real Madrid but refused to be called up to the national team. Next, he was spotted out at night in Madrid.
Former Man United player Patrick Evra once shared with RMC Sport that not only Didier Deschamp, but the whole of France gave Mbappe too much, leading to this situation. Amidst the wave of criticism aimed at the national team captain, President of the French Football Federation - Philippe Diallo had to speak up to cool things down.
"Deschamp spoke directly with Mbappe and Real Madrid's medical team, thereby deciding not to select Mbappe at this stage. There is currently no problem regarding Mbappe's commitment to the team."
However, the troubles don't end there. A few weeks ago, Antoine Griezmann announced his retirement from the national team after 10 years. When former Les Bleus captain Hugo Lloris left the team, the captain's armband was immediately given to Kylian Mbappe, not Antoine Griezmann. This time, Deschamps was not even informed about Griezmann's decision to retire, which has fueled rumors of favoritism in the Les Bleus dressing room.
Mbappe is only 25 years old, but whether his time with the French national team is over is also a matter of concern. It all started with Aurelien Tchouameni's statement before the match against Israel in the Nations League. That match, Tchouameni was captain in place of the absent Mbappe and the Real Madrid midfielder made statements that caused a stir within Les Bleus once again.
"A new generation of France is emerging, it's our generation (Mbappe was not present in the match against Israel). We have to win to write history for ourselves."
After Lloris and Varane retired in 2022, Giroud and Griezmann have just done the same. This means that during the FIFA Days in October, no players who started in the 2018 World Cup final will appear in the French squad for the clash with Israel.
When Mbappe appears, he is the support for everyone to cling to, but when he is absent, the Real Madrid striker leaves behind many stories about the legacy of the period. Mbappe is in the middle of a storm of criticism, being absent at this time and choosing to stay silent is not necessarily the best way. There is still a lot of time for Mbappe to regain the trust of the fans, but does he want to or not?
