Kylian Mbappe: Real Madrid forward issues Olympics response as rumours swirl | OneFootball

French striker did not play at his home Games despite wanting to

Kylian Mbappe has dismissed reports that he refused to be a torchbearer at the Olympic Games in Paris last year.

Teddy Riner, the French judoka, it is claimed, had already been selected to be the final torchbearer of the ceremony, which was the first to be held outside of a stadium in modern Olympic history.

Instead, athletes were paraded on boats down the River Seine, while performers did their routines at famous Parisian landmarks such as the Eiffel Tower, Notre-Dame, and the Musee d’Orsay.

The official protocols took place at a temporary venue at the Jardins du Trocadero, where the flame was lit, but Mbappe was not the one to do it.

Taking to X on Friday, Mbappe rubbished reports that he had turned down the chance to be a torchbearer.

“LOL,” Mbappe wrote in reply.

“You forgot to mention that I also wanted to be the leader of the French basketball team, I think... I was just chilling on vacation on the other side of the globe. No reason to be the last torchbearer since I have no history with the Olympics. “

Mbappe, who moved to Madrid on a free transfer from Paris Saint-Germain in the summer of 2024, said in March last year that he wanted to play in the football tournament at his home Olympics, but the decision was out of his hands.

“I’ve always had the same ambition. I’ve always said that the Games in Paris is special, and I wanted to be there,” Mbappe said. “I know also that it’s an event that doesn’t depend on me.

“Has my ambition changed? No. Is the final decision with the same person? Yes. But if I’m not allowed to, then I will do as I’m told. The decision is still up to one person and they haven’t told me yes or no.

“I’m at a moment in my life and career where I’m taking perspective on situations that I face. If I’m told yes or no I will accept it, I will do as I’m told.”

At the time, Mbappe was still contracted to PSG, and he clarified that the Ligue 1 side were the ones that would deem whether he could feature or not.

After that, he joined Real officially on June 3 2024, and he scored 31 goals in 34 La Liga games in his debut campaign for Los Blancos.