Zinedine Zidane is planning to redeploy Kylian Mbappé on the left wing for the France national team, shifting away from using him as a central striker as had been the case over the past two years with both Les Bleus and Real Madrid.
According to RMC Sport, Zidane outlined this tactical vision to Mbappé during a private conversation ahead of announcing his debut squad, before publicly confirming that the Real Madrid star will remain national team captain.
“Mbappé can operate across all three attacking positions, but personally, I prefer him on the left wing,” Zidane stated, emphasizing his intent to grant the forward greater space to isolate defenders and dribble rather than pinning him between central defenders.
Mbappé has previously featured 32 times on the left flank for France, generating 21 goals and 16 assists—most notably occupying the role during Les Bleus’ run to the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
He has been unable to feature consistently in his preferred position at Real Madrid due to Vinícius Júnior occupying the left wing, leading managers to field him as a central striker to preserve tactical balance and accommodate both superstars, despite Mbappé’s explicit preference to cut inside from the flank.
Zidane intends to hand the central striker role to Ousmane Dembélé—who has grown accustomed to the position at Paris Saint-Germain—while deploying Mbappé on the left and integrating either Michael Olise or Rayan Cherki into the remaining attacking roles.
The tactical adjustment comes amidst Mbappé’s explosive start to the season with Real Madrid, having recorded eight goals and two assists across eight appearances. Internationally, the French captain boasts 66 goals and 38 assists in 106 caps.
Far from diminishing Mbappé’s influence, Zidane’s decision aims to maximize the forward’s pace and skill set in his natural position, maintaining full faith in him as team captain and the centerpiece of France’s new era following the departure of Didier Deschamps.
