Kylian Mbappe has absorbed the Ballon d’Or defeat and the China backlash and moved on, according to the man who lines up next to him in Madrid and in a France shirt.
Ibrahima Konate spoke to reporters at Clairefontaine on Monday, according to France24, as Zinedine Zidane’s squad gathered for Nations League fixtures against Italy and Turkey this week.
“He’s in a very good frame of mind; you can see that from his recent matches,” the Real Madrid defender told reporters. “He’s been decisive. He’s absolutely vital for us in Madrid.”
The remarks matter because of the weeks they follow. Mbappe finished second in the 2026 Ballon d’Or, 28 points behind winner Harry Kane. He then became the central figure of a sponsorship row in China after a video referencing Mao Zedong, which cost him commercial partnerships.
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‘The very next day he was giving it his all’
Konate addressed the Ballon d’Or night directly. The forward had believed the prize was within reach, and the defender was asked how he had taken the blow.
“He’s a competitor, so of course not winning the Ballon d’Or when he thoroughly deserved it is tough, but the very next day he was giving it his all in training,” Konate said, per France24.
He added that he expected Mbappe to be in the running for the trophy again next year.
Back in blue after three missed matches
Monday’s press conference was also Mbappe’s return to the France camp. He had missed Les Bleus’ previous three fixtures with an injury picked up at club level, and his place in Zidane’s squad for the Italy and Turkey matches is his first since recovering.
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Konate, who plays alongside the captain for club and country, framed the comeback plainly: the private disappointment was real, but it has not followed Mbappe out of the training ground.
France face Italy first, with Turkey to follow later in the international break.
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