Mueez Ajao
– Kylian Mbappe said he hopes to fulfil his dream to play for France at the 2024 Olympic Games in Paris.
– Mbappe, who was born and raised in the French capital and captains Paris Saint-Germain and the national team, said he wants to play in the tournament next summer, although it is not certain he will appear.
– “I don’t know if I’ll be there. But, in any case, I hope to be there,” Mbappe told France TV Sport. “Everyone knows that I’ve always dreamed of playing the Olympic Games.”
Also Read: Galtier opens up on Mbappe-PSG feud
– The Games are scheduled to take place between July 26 and Aug. 11 — starting just 12 days after the Euro 2024 final and ending just days before the start of the 2024-25 Ligue 1 season, which will be delayed due to the Olympics.
– “It doesn’t depend on me. There are a lot of factors that come into play, and we will have to study them all,” Mbappe added.
– “I will not force to do them [the Games] either. They’re not in the FIFA calendar. If people do not want me to do them, that will mean that I must not do them.”
– Olympic football regulations state that only three players over the age of 23 are permitted to play in the tournament. Mbappe is 24-years-old.
– Mbappe has already helped France to the World Cup title in 2018 and was close to defending their crown in Qatar, where he scored a hat trick to stage a dramatic comeback in the final over Argentina, only for the team to lose on penalties.
– Last week, he criticised PSG on social media for using his image in a video to promote season-ticket sales for next season.
– However, the France forward has held talks with head coach Christophe Galtier, and on Wednesday said he has no intention of leaving the club.
– “The next step? Winning the Champions League,” Mbappe told France 3. “I have already made a final, semifinal, quarterfinal, round of 16 … I have done everything but win. That’s all I need. Where [I want to do it]? In Paris. I’m a Parisian and under contract. So it’s PSG.”
