Mbappé absent from the conference, Zidane reassures about his form

Kylian Mbappé, captain of the French national team, did not attend the traditional pre‑match press conference on Thursday evening, despite journalists' expectations who had become used to seeing him replaced by a teammate, and his absence comes as the Ballon d'Or dominates the conversation.

The usual protocol and the context

For several months, Mbappé has regularly let one of his teammates speak in his place, in order to respect the conference protocol. This practice is well known to journalists, who prepare for it in advance.

At the moment, the player is giving numerous interviews to discuss his personal situation and the Ballon d'Or, which made his presence even more anticipated by the media.

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That same day was the eve of Zinedine Zidane's debut as the new manager. Ultimately, Adrien Rabiot accompanied the new manager to the microphones, and the former Parisian titi is one of the three vice‑captains appointed by Zidane, alongside Ousmane Dembélé and Jules Koundé.

Zidane was asked about the captain's absence and did not take any issue with it. “The obligation is a player and a coach. The player arrived before me, it was Adrien Rabiot. And Kylian is fine. A small hiccup but nothing serious, he will be ready tomorrow (Friday),” he explained, smiling.

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The manager thus closed the matter, assuring that Mbappé is in good health and will be available as early as the next day, which minimizes the impact of his absence on the team's preparations.