Kylian Mbappe has confirmed that he will not play in the Men’s football event at the 2024 Paris Olympics due to the order of his new club Real Madrid.
Speaking ahead of France’s Euro 2024 opener against Austria, Mbappe said he would have loved to play in the tournament but has been stopped by Real Madrid.
“My club’s position was very clear, so from that moment on, I think I won’t be taking part in the Games,” said
Mbappe added it would not be in his best interest to start his campaign with the Los Blancos flouting the club’s orders. So, he could only wish the French team the best heading into the tournament.
“That’s just the way it is, and I understand that too. I’m joining a new team in September, so it’s not the best way to start an adventure”, he said.
“Now I think I’m going to wish this French team all the best. I’m going to watch every game. I hope they’ll bring home the gold medal.”
The 2024 Men’s Olympic Football Tournament will kick off on 24 July – ten days after the end of the Euro 2024. It will be wrapped up on August 9, a few days and one week before the 2024-25 La Liga campaign.
Real Madrid’s position on the Olympic Games, as it concerns their players, has been cleared. They are not excluding their players entirely from the Olympic Games but have insisted any player who has been called up by their respective national teams for Euro 2024 cannot compete at the Olympics again.
With the increase in domestic club competitions and international games, Football Clubs are increasingly worried about the impact it will have on players, hence the move to promote selective participation to prevent burnout which could affect the productivity of the players.
Real Madrid players, who are not partaking in Euro 2024, will be allowed to take part in the Olympics.
All You Have to Know About Olympic Football Tournament 2024
The Olympic Football Tournament 2024 will kick off from July 24 to August 9. The tournament will be contested by 16 teams, divided into 4 groups as follows;
Group A: France, USA, Guinea, New Zealand
Group B: Argentina, Morocco, Iraq, Ukraine
Group C: Uzbekistan, Spain, Egypt, Dominican Republic
Group D: Japan, Paraguay, Mali, Israel
It will take after the normal FIFA format for football tournaments. The top two teams in each group will qualify for the knockout. Thereafter, there will be a quarterfinal, semifinal, third-place playoff, and then final. The tournament will be hosted in France.
Is Kylian Mbappe qualified to play in the Olympic Football Tournament 2024?
Kylian Mbappe is 25 years old and is not qualified to play in the tournament. The tournament is meant for players under the age of 23. However, there are provisions for each team to name three over-age players. In the France squad, Mbappe would have definitely made the three over-age players that would have been named by the club.
