Which Country Can Kylian Mbappe Represent if He Leaves France National Team?

“’98 was a great year for French football. Kylian was born.” reads the popular banner celebrating Mbappe’s contribution in the World Cup win in 2018. 1998 was the year that France won its first World Cup, and Kylian Mbappe was born. 20 years later, the prodigal son shone brightest in Russia and brought home France’s second world cup trophy. However, soccer has a short-term memory, and he turned villain when he missed a penalty which knocked France out of Euros 2020 against Switzerland.

Kylian Mbappe may leave France National Team

The game against Switzerland went to a penalty shootout as Mbappe stepped up to take the penalty. However, Yan Sommer saved the penalty kick which led to Mbappe and his family receiving a lot of abuse. Notably, French midfielder Adrien Rabiot’s mother had an altercation with Mbappe’s father as she labeled Mbappe too ‘arrogant’. Hence, he has been on the sidelines of scathing remarks since then.

Moreover, the PSG forward recently talked about how the treatment he received representing France. The forward claimed that he would withdraw from the team if it was in everyone’s best interest.

“If the French National Team is happier without me, I’ll go,” said Mbappe.

This statement has caused massive outrage on social media. To lose a star player like Kylian would be tough for any country. Thus, the obvious question arises, which team could he have played for, if not France?

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Mbappe could have represented Cameroon or Algeria

Mbappe’s comments led to speculation about an alternate international career for the talented youngster. Significantly, Mbappe could have represented either Cameroon or Algeria based on his parents’ lineage. His father, Wilfried Mbappe, is from Cameroon while his mother, Fayza Lamari, has Algerian roots. Hence, these two nations were the options he would have had.

Cameroon was one of the strongest teams from Africa with many blessed players. Samuel Eto’o is one of the most famous players from Cameroon. Although their squad is not that great as of now, the inclusion of Mbappe would do wonders. On the other hand, Algeria is a team filled with talents.

As for Algeria, Riyad Mahrez and Ismaël Bennacer are the two mainstays in the team, and adding Mbappe to that mix would make them one of the best national teams in soccer. However, the argument is only academic since Mbappe has already represented France in the World Cup, which makes him ineligible to switch nationalities according to FIFA guidelines.

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