France will be without captain Kylian Mbappe and defender Ibrahima Konate for Monday’s 2026 World Cup qualifier against Iceland in Reykjavik a match that could secure Les Bleus a place at next year’s tournament in the United States, Canada, and Mexico.
Mbappe, who scored the opener in Friday’s 3–0 victory over Azerbaijan in Paris, was forced off late in the match after taking two heavy knocks to his right ankle an area already affected by a minor injury sustained while playing for Real Madrid.
“He has a sore ankle and he took a knock there. He preferred to come off; the pain was quite significant,” coach Didier Deschamps said after the win.
Following medical assessment at Clairefontaine, the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed that Mbappe has been released back to Real Madrid and will not be replaced in the squad.
Liverpool’s Ibrahima Konate has also been ruled out due to a right thigh issue that kept him on the bench against Azerbaijan. The FFF stated that despite undergoing treatment and following a specific recovery program, he “will not be able to play Monday in Reykjavik” and has returned to club duties.
Konate’s absence opens the door for Benjamin Pavard of Marseille to start in defence, while Mbappe’s unavailability adds to France’s growing list of attacking absentees, including Ousmane Dembele, Desire Doue, Marcus Thuram, and Bradley Barcola.
Despite these setbacks, France remain unbeaten in Group D after three matches. Goals from Adrien Rabiot and substitute Florian Thauvin sealed their comfortable win over Azerbaijan.
Les Bleus can book their qualification on Monday if they defeat Iceland and Ukraine fail to beat Azerbaijan in the other group fixture.
