France will host Azerbaijan in the next round of European qualifiers for the 2026 World Cup. Mbappé said that although he had a minor ankle injury before, he still wants to play for France and compete for World Cup qualification.

Thanks to goals from Mbappé and Barcola, France defeated Iceland 2-1 at the Parc des Princes in the last World Cup qualifiers and currently ranks first in Group D.

It is worth mentioning that in the 2025/26 La Liga season so far, French striker Mbappé, who plays for Real Madrid, has contributed 9 goals and 2 assists to Xabi Alonso's team, and scored 5 goals in the Champions League.

However, Mbappé suffered an injury in the match against Villarreal. The 26-year-old Mbappé said, "I am doing well in Madrid. I am more relaxed there. This is not a criticism of France. The lifestyle there is different and not as noisy as in France. This has helped me to regain my form, both mentally and physically."

"For us as players, playing for the national team is something important and invaluable. I have some issues with my ankle, but I told them I want to play. The coach wants me to play and I think there's nothing wrong and I feel good. We've discussed it and there's nothing to worry about. I want to play and help the team qualify for the World Cup, it's that simple."

Mbappé continued, "This is a new season, we have more rest time and can prepare better. I have started well in the new season, but this is just the beginning of a long season. Although the result against Atletico Madrid was not ideal, we are better understanding the coach's requirements. I am in good shape with the national team, but I feel I can continue to improve and I am working hard for it."

In addition, when talking about wearing the No. 10 jersey in the French national team, Mbappé said, "I think when I see the players who have worn this jersey, I will not forget them. They have left their mark in different eras. Platini left his mark, Zidane did the same, and I hope I can leave my mark as well."

"This jersey number means a lot in the national team, even though it doesn't exactly represent the traditional attacking midfielder role, it belongs to players who make more contributions to the national team."