Kylian Mbappe Calls Zinedine Zidane Era With France ‘Like a Film’

Sports Correspondent: Imran Sohail

Kylian Mbappe has described Zinedine Zidane becoming France’s new head coach as a remarkable moment, recalling that the two first met when he was a teenager hoping to join Real Madrid’s youth setup.

Zidane is set to lead France for the first time since replacing Didier Deschamps, with his opening match scheduled against Turkey in the Nations League in Izmit.

Mbappe Recalls First Meeting With Zidane

Mbappe said Zidane played an important role during his early connection with Real Madrid.

The France captain recalled that Zidane picked him up and took him to the club’s training complex when Mbappe was around 13 or 14 years old.

“Now he’s my national team coach. It’s like a film, but it’s amazing. It’s real,” Mbappe said in an interview with Spanish newspaper AS.

France Begin New Chapter

Zidane’s appointment marks the beginning of a new period for the French national team following Deschamps’ departure after a 14-year spell in charge.

Deschamps’ final major tournament ended with France losing heavily to Spain in the World Cup semi-final in July.

France will now begin preparations for Euro 2028, with four Nations League fixtures scheduled during the expanded international window.

The team will face Turkey and Belgium twice, while another match is scheduled against Italy at the Stade de France.

Mbappe said the squad has two years to prepare for the European Championship and will initially focus on the Nations League fixtures.

He acknowledged that adapting to a new coach would be a significant change after the team had known only Deschamps for many years.

Mbappe Enjoys Strong Start at Real Madrid

Mbappe has made an impressive start to the new season with Real Madrid, scoring eight goals in his first eight appearances across competitions.

However, he was unable to score during Sunday’s 2-1 derby defeat against Atletico Madrid.

Real Madrid have also faced an early setback in La Liga and are six points behind defending champions Barcelona.

Mbappe said the players need to work harder to restore excitement around the club and compete for major trophies.

Mbappe Avoids Referee Controversy

Real Madrid coach Jose Mourinho criticised the refereeing following the defeat to Atletico, but Mbappe took a more reserved approach.

The France forward said he had his own views about the match but preferred not to discuss them publicly.

He added that referees are human and can make mistakes, while making it clear that he did not want to focus on the officiating.

With Zidane now taking charge of France, Mbappe is preparing for a new international chapter alongside the coach he first encountered during his teenage years at Real Madrid.