Did Kylian Mbappe nearly quit France's national team after UEFA Euro 2020 penalty howler?

France missed out on UEFA Euro 2020 quarterfinal berth after Kylian Mbappe missed out on a penalty against Switzerland. Following then, it was reported that he nearly quit international football.

Image Credit: Getty Images

It was a horror show by France during the 2020 UEFA Euro last year. In a penalty shootout, Switzerland knocked out the reigning world champion in the pre-quarters. The shootout drew headlines from France's perspective, with top French striker Kylian Mbappe missing a decisive penalty. While the Frenchman was criticised, he supposedly thought of quitting the France national team and nearly did so, as revealed by French Football Federation (FFF) president Noel Le Graet. Mbappe was criticised for his inability to make opportunities count at the crucial stages, with fans targeting him despite his overall success at the club and international level.

Speaking to Le Journal du Dimanche, Le Graet sounded, "I met with him after the Euros. He felt that the Federation had not defended him after his missed penalty and the criticism on the networks. We met for five minutes in my office. He was angry. He didn't want to play for the French team anymore - which he didn't mean."

"You know how it is. He's [Mbappe] a winner. He was very frustrated, like all of us, by the elimination. He's so media-friendly. He's a great guy, much more collective than people think," added Le Graet. Mbappe has netted 27 goals in 57 matches for France, besides winning the FIFA World Cup and UEFA Nations League (UNL).

Earlier, in October 2021, Mbappe had admitted that he could walk away if he happened to be a problem for the French national side and head coach Didier Deschamps. "I have never taken a single euro to play for the French national team, and I will always play for my national team for free. Above all, I never wanted to be a problem," he had told L'Equipe.

"I met with the president, and we talked about it. What I went to complain to him about was that I was insulted and called a 'monkey' for missing a penalty. That is not the same thing. I will never complain about a penalty. I was the one who missed the penalty," concluded Mbappe.