France captain Kylian Mbappe has been ruled out of Monday’s World Cup qualifier against Iceland after aggravating a sore right ankle during Friday’s 3–0 win over Azerbaijan in Paris.
The French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that Mbappe, who already had a “small niggle” from club duty with Real Madrid, took two heavy knocks during the match — one just before half-time after scoring, and another late in the game that forced his substitution.
“He has a sore ankle and took another knock there. He preferred to come off; the pain was quite significant,” France coach Didier Deschamps said after the victory.
Following medical checks at Clairefontaine, Deschamps agreed to release the 25-year-old star back to his club. The FFF said Mbappe “will not be replaced” in the squad.
His absence adds to France’s growing list of sidelined forwards, including Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Marcus Thuram, and Bradley Barcola.
Despite the setback, Les Bleus remain unbeaten and top of Group D with three wins from three matches. They could book their spot at the 2026 World Cup — to be held in the United States, Canada, and Mexico — if they beat Iceland on Monday and Ukraine fail to defeat Azerbaijan.
