Kylian Mbappe Ruled Out of France’s Belgium Clash With Knee Injury

France vs Belgium: Why Kylian Mbappe is not playing for France

Kylian Mbappe will miss France’s Matchday 4 meeting with Belgium after the French Football Federation ruled him out for the remainder of the international break following a left-knee hyperextension.

The injury occurred during France’s 1, 0 victory over Turkiye, when Mbappe scored the winning goal before hurting his knee shortly afterwards. He was substituted immediately following the incident.

The fixture comes as the opening window of the 2026, 27 UEFA Nations League draws to a close, with France hosting Belgium in Matchday 4. France require a victory against Belgium to secure top spot in Group A1.

How Mbappe suffered the injury

Mbappe injured his left knee while scoring the goal that gave France all three points against Turkiye. The injury was described as a hyperextension, and the forward was taken off immediately after the incident.

The French Football Federation later confirmed, following a medical evaluation, that Mbappe would return to Spain. He was expected to recover there and prepare for Real Madrid’s upcoming fixtures.

That decision ruled him out for the remainder of the international break. As a result, Mbappe was not available for France’s meeting with Belgium.

The injury was not believed to be severe, according to the report explaining his absence. Mbappe had already returned to Madrid and was expected to be fit for Real Madrid’s La Liga clash against Villarreal on October 10.

Another report said that subsequent tests showed Mbappe had avoided a significant injury. However, that report also said he was not back in training and had been spotted in Paris, with no clarity on a potential return date.

The reports therefore made two points clear: France could not call on Mbappe for the Belgium fixture, while the injury was not presented as a long-term absence. Real Madrid’s next concern was when its forward would be ready to return rather than whether he had suffered a major injury.

France’s attacking options without their captain

France had already used an alternative attacking set-up in their previous outing against Italy. Head coach Zinedine Zidane deployed Desire Doue on the wing, moved Ousmane Dembele into a central attacking role and used Michael Olise to complete the front line.

The change was required because Mbappe was unavailable after the knee injury sustained against Turkiye. The report described Mbappe as offering “unmatched power and dynamic scoring”.

It also said that the attacking combination of Olise, Dembele and Doue remained a formidable threat for any opponent. That trio was therefore the main attacking alternative identified in the reports ahead of the Belgium match.

France’s performance without Mbappe against Italy showed both the possibilities and the limitations of that adjustment. Michael Olise put France ahead, but Italy’s Alessandro Bastoni equalised as Zidane’s side were held to a 1, 1 draw.

France created opportunities without Mbappe. Zidane believed his team deserved more from the match and pointed to its failure to capitalise on those chances.

The draw also meant that France’s attack had to be assessed without its most prominent forward. Zidane, however, refused to use Mbappe’s absence as an explanation for the result.

Asked whether the forward’s absence had affected the team, Zidane said: “Did Kylian Mbappe's absence affect the team? We cannot say. He is not here; he is injured,”

The response kept the focus on the players available to France rather than on the player missing from the squad. It also avoided turning Mbappe’s absence into the sole explanation for the draw against Italy.

What Zidane said after the Italy draw

France’s 1, 1 draw with Italy was Zidane’s first listed match in charge in the reports about the new era of the national team. Zidane has taken over the France national team from Didier Deschamps, according to the report.

The match was played at the Stade de France, and Mbappe missed it after suffering the knee injury against Turkey the previous week. The report said he had hurt his knee while scoring the goal that secured France’s victory.

Zidane was asked directly whether the captain’s absence had affected France’s performance. Rather than speculate, he said Mbappe was injured and not with the team.

France still created chances and took the lead through Olise. Bastoni’s equaliser prevented Zidane’s side from taking the win that the coach felt it deserved.

The result made the Belgium fixture important for France’s position in Group A1. With Mbappe unavailable, the team’s attacking depth and its ability to convert opportunities were central issues identified in the reports.

Why the absence matters to Real Madrid

Mbappe has become the focal point of Real Madrid’s attack, making his recovery important beyond the French national team. Real Madrid wanted him back as soon as possible after the injury.

The club’s next fixture mentioned in the reports was against Villarreal after the international break. One report said Mbappe was expected to be fit for that La Liga match on October 10.

The same report said Mbappe’s return to Madrid had been arranged so he could recover and prepare for Real Madrid’s upcoming fixtures. Another said there was little reason for either club or country to rush his recovery, particularly with Villarreal awaiting after the international break.

Even if Mbappe were unavailable for that match, the report said it should not be long before he returned to action for Real Madrid. The reports did not provide a confirmed return date beyond the expectation that he could be fit for the Villarreal fixture.

For France, the immediate issue was how to function without its captain. For Real Madrid, the priority was avoiding a prolonged absence for a player described as central to its attack.

A separate training update

A separate report on the French team carried an earlier update saying that Mbappe had returned to training. It said he had remained in the gym on Monday and had missed the previous session because of a flu-like illness.

According to that report, the France captain took part normally in the session on the Michel Platini pitch at Clairefontaine. The session included twenty minutes of warming up in the gym before the team worked on tactics.

That report placed the session two days before France’s trip to Türkiye. It said Zidane’s team would begin its Nations League campaign against the Turks before travelling to Belgium on the 28th.

The same report said France would then host Italy at the Stade de France for Zidane’s first home match on October 2, followed by Belgium in Saint-Denis on the 5th.

The later account concerning Matchday 4 said Mbappe was unavailable after the knee injury against Turkiye and had returned to Spain for recovery. Taken together, the reports identify the knee injury and the French federation’s decision as the reason for his absence from the France, Belgium fixture.

France must therefore rely on the attacking options used against Italy, including Olise, Dembele and Doue. With a win required to secure top spot in Group A1, the match will test whether Zidane’s side can replace Mbappe’s attacking contribution without making his absence the explanation for its performance.