Paris Saint-Germain superstar Kylian Mbappe has admitted that the France national team lost a “very important” Manchester United player in their squad.
France fell short of defending their World Cup title in 2022 after Didier Deschamps’ men were beaten on penalties in a thrilling final against Argentina in Qatar.
Mbappe scored a sensational hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final, but the 2018 champions ultimately finished as runners-up at FIFA’s prestigious tournament.
United defender Raphael Varane featured for France in the World Cup final, while former Red Devils player Paul Pogba missed the competition due to injury.
France, who finished runners-up at Euro 2016, have punched their ticket to Euro 2024 this summer after finishing top of Group B in their qualifying campaign.
Deschamps’ side won seven of their eight Euro 2024 qualifiers, with the Netherlands finishing second in Group B and Greece finishing third.
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Mbappe on United star France will miss
Varane, who lifted the World Cup trophy in Russia in 2018, called it time on his prolific international career with the France national team in 2023.
The United centre-back was tipped to replace Hugo Lloris as captain of France after the ex-Tottenham star retired from international duty following the 2022 World Cup.
Mbappe was appointed France captain in 2023, but the 25-year-old French forward insisted that his country lost “great champions” in the form of Lloris and Varane.
Speaking to GQ, he said: “This year we have lost great champions, very important players like Hugo [Lloris] and Raphael [Varane], but in the end the group has not been affected.
“That shows true cohesion and ability to adapt.
“We are one of the most anticipated teams in this tournament and we are prepared and confident.
“We qualified very well and now our goal is to win.”
Mbappe snubbed ex-United star Pogba
Mbappe surprisingly overlooked former United star Pogba during his admission over former France teammates Lloris and Varane.
Pogba, who left United in 2022 and re-signed for Juventus, was a key figure for France manager Deschamps before he missed the 2022 World Cup in Qatar.
However, the 30-year-old French midfielder’s future in football remains uncertain after he failed a drugs test in 2023 and was provisionally suspended by Juventus.
Pogba could face a potential ban between two to four years if he is found guilty of doping, despite the former United star vowing to clear his name of any wrongdoings.
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