Mbappé's tense situation in the French national team

Mbappé faces tension with new France manager Zidane after being moved to the wing, with L'Équipe reporting friction in the squad over the Ballon d'Or dispute with Dembélé.

Mbappé is with the France squad for two Nations League matches: Italy on Thursday 12 September at 20:45 and Turkey on Sunday 15 September at 20:45, both on DAZN.

According to L'Équipe, the Real Madrid forward is not in his best form with the national team, and relations with new manager Zinedine Zidane are strained. The tension stems from Zidane's first squad gathering, when he moved Mbappé from centre-forward to the wing to make Ousmane Dembélé the central striker—a decision L'Équipe describes as potentially seen as a demotion for one and a promotion for the other.

Zidane is reportedly keen to resolve the situation during this international break and has indicated Mbappé will play as centre-forward in both upcoming matches. Dembélé is absent from this squad due to injury.

Beyond the manager tension, L'Équipe reports friction in the dressing room stemming from the Ballon d'Or dispute between Mbappé and Dembélé, with both players making public statements in response to each other. Mbappé is said to feel isolated and has gravitated toward other players including Rayan Cherki, Marcus Thuram, and Michael Olise, a move some viewed as forced.