A few weeks before the Olympic Games, Thierry Henry gave more details on Mbappé’s participation in the Olympic Games.
The saga of Kylian Mbappé’s departure accompanied Paris Saint-Germain’s entire season. Since the announcement of his departure last winter, everyone has been wondering where the striker with 256 goals with PSG will sign, with Real Madrid as the main lead. The Madrid club had already tried to get him back last summer, but the player finally decided to complete his contract in Paris.
Now free, Mbappé should in all likelihood join the club led by Florentino Perez. But his decision has not yet been announced publicly, and several parameters come into consideration in the choice of his future club. Among them, the prospect of participation in the Olympic Games this summer in Paris is important.
Kylian Mbappé has never hidden his wish to be part of Thierry Henry’s selection, but the Olympic football tournament is not part of the official dates on the FIFA calendar. The clubs are therefore not obliged to release their players, and the coach of the France Espoir team must compose his list counting on their understanding or even on some big efforts. Given the uncertainty surrounding Mbappé’s future club, Thierry Henry cannot know if he will be able to count on the star striker this summer. He also confirmed it during an interview with the newspaper The Parisian last March.
“The only thing we know about Kylian is that he’s leaving,” he said. But we know even more: Real Madrid recently sent a letter to the French Football Federation to inform it that it did not intend to release French players for the Olympics… The chances of seeing Mbappé participate in the competition are therefore increasingly slim. Thierry Henry, however, does not want to give up and releases a few scraps of hope: “We are talking about Kylian, but there is also Camavinga, Tchouaméni and Mendy. I will try until the end, because I want the best team,” he assures.
The Bleuets coach can count on strong support for this: the President of the Republic. Emmanuel Macron also wants to see Kylian Mbappé in Paris this summer for the Games, and he is trying by all means to convince Real Madrid to release him. Even though Mbappé has not yet announced his signing for the Madrid club, Macron invited Real Madrid president Florentino Perez to the Elysée on the occasion of the FIFA 120 dinner, to plead the cause of French attacker. Although he will do everything to be able to participate in the Olympic Games, Kylian Mbappé nevertheless declared that he would not go into a standoff with his club to be present in Paris at all costs and that he would abide by his decision.