Kylian Mbappe edited out of Real Madrid promotional image in latest drama concerning controversial France forward

The French star was conspicuously removed from a promotional image released by Real Madrid as part of the club's "Artist Pack" collection, which is intended to showcase the club's charitable foundation that supports sporting and social projects for underprivileged communities.

However, the omission would have likely gone unnoticed if it weren’t for a post by teammate Jude Bellingham. The 21-year-old shared an unedited version of the image on his Instagram, which featured Mbappe. The post was swiftly taken down by the English midfielder, but not before eagle-eyed fans noticed the alteration.

Reports from Sports Zone suggest the decision to exclude Mbappe stemmed from a clash between competing sponsorship deals. As a Nike ambassador, Mbappe was removed due to the campaign’s association with adidas, Real Madrid's official kit sponsor. Despite Mbappe's omission, Eduardo Camavinga, another Nike-sponsored player, was featured in the campaign, raising further questions about the rationale behind the decision.

Mbappe is expected to feature in Real Madrid’s upcoming fixture against Celta Vigo this Saturday after brushing off an injury scare that forced him to withdraw from France’s national team squad for the latest international break. However, if the forward fails to win the race against time, he might be reintegrated into the squad for the midweek Champions League match against Borussia Dortmund three days later.