Kylian Mbappe missed France’s training session Tuesday after coming down with the flu, giving new coach Zinedine Zidane an early fitness concern ahead of the team’s Nations League opener against Türkiye.
The Real Madrid forward stayed at France’s training base at Clairefontaine while his teammates trained outdoors, according to the French Football Federation. Mbappe had participated in Monday’s session, Zidane’s first since taking charge of the national team.
France have gathered at the Centre National du Football outside Paris for a busy Nations League schedule that begins Friday against Türkiye. They will then travel to face Belgium on Monday before hosting Italy on Oct. 2 and Belgium again on Oct. 5.
The federation did not indicate how long Mbappe is expected to be sidelined or whether his illness will prevent him from playing against Türkiye. His condition will be monitored ahead of Friday’s match.
Mbappe remains France’s captain under Zidane, who replaced Didier Deschamps after the 2026 World Cup. The appointment begins a new era for Les Bleus, with Zidane taking charge of the senior team for the first time.
Mbappe enters the new campaign after another record-breaking World Cup. During the tournament, he moved past Lionel Messi to become the leading scorer in World Cup history with 22 goals. He also surpassed Olivier Giroud as France’s all-time leading scorer.
The 27-year-old has been central to France’s attack since making his international debut and was part of the squad that won the 2018 World Cup. He also won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup and retained it at the 2026 tournament.
His health will therefore be closely watched as France begin a new cycle under Zidane. The coach, a World Cup winner with France as a player in 1998, has retained Mbappe as captain as he prepares the team for the Nations League and the longer-term build-up toward Euro 2028 and the 2030 World Cup.
France will face Türkiye in Kocaeli on Friday before traveling to Belgium four days later. The team is scheduled to return home for matches against Italy and Belgium in early October.
