Kylian Mbappe ‘slows down’ France – should Didier Deschamps consider dropping Real Madrid’s masked man for Euro 2024 semi-final against Spain?

Kylian Mbappé is the most important player in the French national team. He has scored 48 goals in 83 caps for his country, including 13 in major tournaments. In the eyes of many, he is now the best player in the world.

At 25, he has achieved more than most top players do in their entire careers. The best may be yet to come, as Mbappe is set to finalise his long-awaited move to 15-time European champions Real Madrid after Euro 2024.

But the Mbappe who helped France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina in Qatar four years later has not made an appearance in Germany this summer. Although France managed to reach another semi-final, Mbappe has only found the net once and his contribution to the overall game has been virtually non-existent. Didier Deschamps therefore faces a huge selection dilemma ahead of Les Bleus’ most formidable test of the Euros so far.

Mbappe is, at his best, the best player in big games, as his record 20 goals in the Champions League knockout stages for Paris Saint-Germain proves. The problem is, he hasn’t even been 100% in this competition. Spain will certainly not be afraid of this version of Mbappe, and France may have a better chance of upsetting Luis de la Fuente’s scintillating team if he is among the substitutes on Tuesday.