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Why Is Kylian Mbappe Not Playing Tonight for France vs Iceland?

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Emmanuel Mendez | Last updated Oct 13, 2025 1:18 PM ET

France will be taking on Iceland away from home in their fourth World Cup qualifier match of their group. France is on nine points after winning all three games in their group.

If Ukraine loses or draws against Azerbaijan and France defeats Iceland, the French national team will qualify directly to the 2026 World Cup. France has a very important game against Iceland, but will be without their most important player, Kylian Mbappe.

Mbappe has scored in each of his last ten matches across all competitions. Mbappe scored for France in the previous World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan on Friday, which led to a 3-0 win in Paris.

Mbappe also suffered an ankle injury and was taken off the pitch in the 83rd minute. Mbappe was not 100% fit ahead of the match against Azerbaijan, and the injury worried France and Real Madrid fans.

Mbappe was quickly ruled out for the match against Iceland, and the player returned to Spain to be examined by Real Madrid.

How Serious is Kylian Mbappe's Injury?

France head coach Didier Deschamps spoke on Mbappe's injury and revealed that it was an ankle injury.

Deschamps said, "It’s the same ankle where he was hurt. The pain decreases when he rests. In a match, contacts are inevitably going to happen. We will assess it. He has discomfort that is not ideal for him."

Many reports in Spain suggest that Mbappe's injury is not serious and will return to Real Madrid training later this week. Mbappe may be ready for action in Real Madrid's first game after this international break against Getafe on Sunday.

Real Madrid is hopeful that Mbappe will be fully fit for El Clásico against FC Barcelona, which is less than two weeks away.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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