Kylian Mbappé said Sunday that he does not expect to be on France’s Olympic men’s soccer team, two weeks after he was not named on a changeable list of 25 candidates for the 18-player roster.
“For the Olympic Games, my club has a position which is very clear, so from that moment on I think that I will not participate in the Games,” Mbappé said in French on Sunday, according to a translation. “I’m going to wish the best to this French team. I’m going to watch all the matches of course as a supporter.”
In previous years, when Mbappé played for French club Paris Saint-Germain, he said he wanted to play in the Paris Games and reportedly said PSG would allow it.
But Mbappé since left PSG and signed with Real Madrid earlier this month.
For Mbappé to be eligible to play in the Olympics, Real Madrid would have to allow it. Real Madrid has not said it plans to allow him to play and is not expected to.
The Olympic men’s soccer tournament does not typically include the world’s best players. It is for U23 teams with three over-age exceptions.
Club teams are required to release players for continental championships like the European Championship, which began last Friday and runs to July 14.
The Paris Olympic men’s soccer competition begins July 24 and runs through an Aug. 9 final.
Mbappé and France’s other top players are on the team for the European Championship, which is being held in Germany.
Clubs are not required to release players for the Olympics. Clubs traditionally do not release players for the Olympics who are already playing continental championships that summer.
Clubs typically do not like their stars playing in multiple weekslong tournaments for the national team during the club offseason.
