Mbappé keeps his distance from Zidane to avoid speculation

Kylian Mbappé, captain of the French national team, said in an interview with Le Parisien in March 2025 that he had deliberately avoided crossing paths with Zinédine Zidane when they were in the same city, in order to limit speculation about their possible collaboration.

Zinédine Zidane has long been a true idol for Kylian Mbappé. In 2012, the young Mbappé was invited to tour the Real Madrid facilities and meet Zidane. That day, the Frenchman watched all the matches of the Spanish club, calling it an exceptional moment.

Twelve years later, Zidane was present at Mbappé's official presentation at the Santiago Bernabéu, alongside his parents and the Madrid officials. Mbappé said he wanted to avoid any speculation. Despite this admiration, the two men would have seen each other very little in Madrid.

Mbappé alarm: Real Madrid striker misses training

Relations and Future Prospects

The striker explained that he wanted to avoid speculation, while Zidane's name was regularly linked to the French national team and his future after Didier Deschamps was already generating a lot of talk. This caution would explain why their relationship still seems under construction. Unlike Didier Deschamps, Zidane is not known for regularly sending messages to his players. At the first gathering, the two men would have exchanged very little: Mbappé arrived ill, spent a lot of time in his room, and then left the group prematurely after a knee alert.

Zidane's initial tactical choice did not facilitate their rapprochement. Mbappé had been shifted to the left to free up the channel for Ousmane Dembélé, a decision taken with caution. The coach has since promised to reinstall him as a striker. The idol and his former admirer must now overcome the carefully maintained distance in Madrid to build a relationship essential to the future of the French national team.

A silent dispute between Mbappé and Dembélé unsettles Zidane's camp