Kylian Mbappe Excluded From France's Preliminary Squad For Paris Olympics
Kylian Mbappe has been excluded from France's 25-man preliminary Olympics squad ahead of the Games in Paris starting next month. Thierry Henry, coach of Les Bleus' under-23 side, did not include the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who is expected to join Real Madrid soon after Los Blancos' 15th Champions League victory.
The 46-year-old coach has until July 3 to finalise his 22-player list for group-stage fixtures against the United States on July 24, Guinea on July 27, and New Zealand on July 30. Henry disclosed that he faced numerous challenges when selecting his squad, with several clubs refusing to release their players for the tournament.
Because the football event at the Olympics is not formally recognised by FIFA, clubs are not obliged to release their players for the competition, which runs from July 24 to August 9. "Real Madrid were really straightforward about the Olympics," Henry said when asked about Mbappe's omission. "The last time I received so many rejections was at university. There have not even been negotiations. You go, you ask, they say no, and you leave."
Despite these challenges, Henry managed to include several talented stars from European football. Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta made the cut, along with Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery.
However, Chelsea stars Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile were refused release from Stamford Bridge. The Blues did offer midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu instead. When asked if he was disappointed by Premier League clubs' decisions, Henry replied: "I will respond to this one very clearly—it's not the time for me to talk about that, firstly. Secondly, am I disappointed or surprised? No. Neither disappointed nor surprised; the clubs are within their rights, unfortunately."
Les Bleus have previously won two medals at the Olympic Games: a silver on home soil in Paris in 1900 and a gold in Los Angeles in 1984. The rules of the competition state that each team must consist of players born on or after January 1, 2001 (aged 23 at the time of the Games). However, three players born before that date can also be included.
France's Preliminary Squad
Here are the players called up by Thierry Henry to prepare for the #BleuCollectif:
Here are the players called up by Thierry Henry to prepare for the #BleuCollectif pic.twitter.com/dw6wlH7Tg1
— French Team (@FrenchTeam) June 3, 2024
As Henry continues to navigate these challenges, fans eagerly await his final squad announcement on July 3. The upcoming Olympic Games will provide a platform for young talents to showcase their skills on an international stage.
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