Camavinga leans on Zidane’s faith amid bench role and World Cup blow

In the wake of a difficult start to the campaign, Real Madrid midfielder Eduardo Camavinga sat down ahead of France’s Nations League clash with Belgium, explaining how a call‑up from Zinedine Zidane and the sting of missing the World Cup have shaped his season.

Club role under Mourinho

Camavinga admits he is far from a starter under Jose Mourinho, who can choose from options such as Bernardo Silva, Federico Valverde and Aurelien Tchouameni. The midfielder has therefore spent most of the early weeks on the bench.

Despite limited minutes, Mourinho has trusted Camavinga as a substitute, and the Frenchman believes he has repaid that faith decently with his performances when called upon.

His recent form earned him a call‑up with France for the international break, a clear sign of progress after missing the World Cup.

International outlook and personal reflections

When asked how it felt to be summoned by Zinedine Zidane at a low point, Camavinga replied: “It’s something very important to me, and it’s a personal victory. This proves that I didn’t give up, and that I knew how to come back stronger.” He added, “Now I have to repay Zidane’s trust in me.”

Camavinga also welcomed the news that Thibaut Courtois will not feature for Belgium, saying with a laugh, “I’m so happy that Courtois won’t play with Belgium tomorrow.”

On Kylian Mbappe’s role, he said, “I think Kylian has already played on the left side before, and in 2022 he delivered an outstanding performance in that position. I’m sure he will succeed in this position under Zidane’s leadership.” When pressed on Mbappe’s defensive work‑rate, Camavinga answered, “Yes, absolutely, I wouldn’t tell you otherwise.”

Addressing his own development, Camavinga stressed, “Consistency has delivered good levels before, but the most important thing is maintaining consistency. You have to stay focused on the pitch and make fewer mistakes.” He concluded on the World Cup miss: “Not participating in the World Cup affected me a lot. Everything in my life happened quickly, and this disappointment is new to me.” “The most important thing now is to come back and recover, because everything needs its time,” he added.