Kylian Mbappé scored the only goal in France’s Nations League win over Türkiye on Friday, Sept. 25. Moments later, he was grabbing his left knee. The French Football Federation confirmed he has a tendon injury and will leave the national team camp to return to Real Madrid. It was supposed to be a night of celebration for Zinedine Zidane, who was coaching France for the first time.
The severity of the injury is still unknown. Further tests are expected, and the answer could shape Real Madrid’s season, because the knee involved has given Mbappé trouble before.
How did Kylian Mbappé get hurt?
It happened on the very shot that won the game. Early in the second half, Michael Olise set him up on the left side, and Mbappé fired a low shot into the near post for his 67th goal for France, extending his national team record.
He never got to enjoy it. As teammates rushed over to celebrate, he winced and sat down on the grass, rubbing his left knee. No defender touched him. Zidane told TF1 that Mbappé hyperextended the knee as he struck the ball. He tried to play on after treatment, then went down again and signaled to the bench. Désiré Doué replaced him. Mbappé walked off on his own.
Several reports pointed to the bumpy surface at Kocaeli Stadium in Izmit, which made for a scrappy game from the start.
What did Zidane say about Mbappé’s injury?
He did not sugarcoat it. Zidane said his captain was not doing well and would return to Madrid because France would take no risks. He added that the signs were not encouraging.
For Zidane, the moment was bittersweet. The 1998 World Cup winner was back on the sideline for the first time since leaving Real Madrid in 2021. The man sending Mbappé back to Madrid is the coach who knows that club better than almost anyone.
Which games will Mbappé miss?
He is out for the rest of France’s international window. That includes three more Nations League matches, two against Belgium and one against Italy, before club play resumes.
Real Madrid is watching far more nervously. Mbappé has started the season in top form, with eight goals and two assists in eight appearances. El Clásico against Barcelona at Camp Nou is set for Oct. 25, one month away.
Has Mbappé hurt this knee before?
Yes, and that is why the next few days matter so much. He dealt with left knee problems twice last season. Real Madrid diagnosed him with a left knee sprain on New Year’s Eve, and a source told AFP he would miss at least three weeks.
Nothing about Friday’s goal looked unusual. That is part of what makes this so unsettling. A routine shot on a rough field left one of the world’s best players limping away from his new coach’s first win.
How did the rest of the game play out?
France held on for the win. Mike Maignan made a sharp one-handed save on a header from İsmail Yüksek. Jules Koundé hit the post. Türkiye finished with 10 men after goalkeeper Uğurcan Çakır was sent off late for handling the ball outside his area to stop Bradley Barcola. A VAR review led to the red card.
Zidane said he liked what he saw after only a few training sessions with the group. France travels to Brussels to face Belgium on Monday.
Mbappé is headed somewhere else. When the results of his tests come in, Real Madrid will learn whether this was a scare or the start of something much worse.
