- Kylian Mbappe will miss France’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Iceland after suffering an ankle injury.
- Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate has also been ruled out due to a thigh problem.
- France’s World Cup qualification hopes remain strong despite missing key players like Mbappe, Dembele, and Thuram.
- Coach Didier Deschamps confirmed that Mbappe has been released to Real Madrid, while Konate has returned to Liverpool.
France will be missing two key players: Kylian Mbappe and Ibrahima Konate when they face Iceland in a crucial 2026 FIFA World Cup qualifier on Monday. Both players have been ruled out due to injuries, according to the French Football Federation (FFF).
Mbappe, who plays for Real Madrid, has been dealing with a slight ankle problem and took two knocks during France’s 3-0 win over Azerbaijan on Friday in Paris. The forward scored the opening goal of the match but was substituted in the second half after experiencing significant pain in his right ankle.
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“He has a sore ankle and took another knock there. The pain was quite significant, so he preferred to come off,” France coach Didier Deschamps said after the game.
Meanwhile, Liverpool defender Ibrahima Konate, who has been nursing a thigh injury, did not feature in the Azerbaijan game and will also miss the trip to Iceland. His spot in defence is expected to be filled by Benjamin Pavard of Marseille.
In a statement, the FFF confirmed that Mbappe had spoken with Deschamps after returning to the Clairefontaine training base. Following their discussion, he was released back to his club for recovery and will not be replaced in the squad. Hours later, the FFF also announced that Konate had returned to Liverpool after undergoing treatment.
Mbappe’s absence adds to France’s growing injury list for the October qualifiers, which already includes Ousmane Dembele, Marcus Thuram, Desire Doue, and Bradley Barcola.
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France’s captain had opened the scoring just before halftime against Azerbaijan but suffered a strong tackle from Rustam Ahmedzade, followed by another hit later in the game. He was replaced by Florian Thauvin, who went on to score the team’s third goal, while Adrien Rabiot added the second.
Les Bleus remain unbeaten after three games and sit at the top of Group D. They will officially secure their spot at the 2026 World Cup in the United States, Canada, and Mexico if they defeat Iceland on Monday and Ukraine fail to beat Azerbaijan
