France star Mbappe calls for players to get more time off

"It is not only a matter of the number of games, but more about recovery. We just need a bit more rest, time off for our bodies to regenerate and recover from the number of matches we have to play," Mbappe told reporters in Poland, where France begin their 2026 World Cup qualifying campaign against Ukraine on Friday.

Mbappe played 59 matches last season in his first campaign with Real Madrid, from making his debut in the UEFA Super Cup on August 14 last year to the Club World Cup semi-final defeat by Paris Saint-Germain on July 9.

He also made six appearances for France during that time, and was back in action for Real in La Liga as this season started on August 19. If France qualify for the World Cup, it could be mid-July next year before he gets any significant time off again.

"Do we play too much? No, my thinking has evolved," Mbappe insisted. "I did think that, but I don't anymore, because I can understand that the people watching on their sofa think we earn a lot of money and so we should play."

Mbappe, who scored 44 goals for the Spanish giants last season, admitted that the introduction of the Club World Cup had hugely increased the demands on players.

"We were only just getting to the quarter-finals, while teams were already starting to play friendly matches. They had started the 2025/26 season while it was still 2024/25 for us," he said.

"I watch a lot of matches, but I can't remember seeing a player - even the greatest of all time - play 60 matches in a season and always be at their best."

He added: "It is a matter which needs to be looked into, because everyone will come out as a winner. People will see games of a higher quality."

After playing Ukraine, France will entertain Iceland in Paris next Tuesday. They will also face Azerbaijan in qualifying Group D, the winners of which will qualify directly for the World Cup.