Kylian Mbappe France 2022Getty

Mbappe reveals he almost quit France duty following Euro 2020 racist abuse

  • France crashed out of Euro 2020 in second round
  • Mbappe missed penalty against Switzerland
  • Received a torrent of abuse after team's failure

WHAT HAPPENED? Les Bleus crashed out of the competition with a penalty shootout loss against Switzerland at the last-16 stage. Mbappe missed his spot kick in the knockout clash and ended the tournament without a goal. The 23-year-old was the target of racist abuse online in the wake of the team's failure, resulting in him considering retiring from international football.

WHAT THEY SAID: “I said: ‘I cannot play for people who think I’m a monkey. I’m not gonna play,’” Mbappe told Sports Illustrated. “But after, I take the reflection with all the people who play around me and root for me, and I think it was not the good message to give up. Because I think I’m an example for everybody. This is the new France. It’s for that, that I didn’t give up the national team. Because it is a message to the young generation to say: ‘We are stronger than that'."

THE BIGGER PICTURE: Mbappe has been in good form for France since Euro 2020, having scored 11 goals in 10 matches for Didier Deschamps' team. France have the chance to bounce back from their humiliation when they commence their World Cup campaign in Qatar later this month.

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IN TWO PHOTOS:

Kylian Mbappe France Switzerland Euro 2020GettyKylian Mbappe France Switzerland Euro 2020Getty

WHAT NEXT FOR MBAPPE? The striker will be in action this weekend when Paris Saint-Germain face Auxerre in Ligue 1 on Saturday. Afterwards, he will be heading to Qatar with the national team for the World Cup, with France kicking off their campaign with a match against Australia on November 22.

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