Kylian Mbappe, the France and Real Madrid star, has denied being responsible for Antoine Griezmann’s departure from international football.
Griezmann announced his retirement from the French national team in September 2024, calling it time after making 137 appearances for his country and scoring 44 goals. The 33-year-old forward was an integral part of the France side that lifted the World Cup for the second time in their history in 2018.
At the time of his retirement, Mbappe shared a heartfelt note for his compatriot as he hailed Griezmann as one of the greats of the modern era of French football. The Real Madrid star, however, was accused of being responsible for the experienced attacker quitting the national team. In a chat with Le Parisien, the 26-year-old refuted those rumours as he opened up on his relationship with the Atletico star.
In the interview, Mbappe said: “We often talk with Antoine. I love his son, he’s a football fanatic, he reminds me a bit of myself when I was little. I love him, Amaro. But after that, it’s true that it’s complicated because we’re in a city where our two teams are real rivals.
“But I can assure you, we have a very good relationship with Antoine. He’s already invited me to his house quite a few times for a barbecue. It hasn’t happened yet, but we’re sure to get there. We live next door, in the same building.”
The Madrid forward further claimed that he was aware of Griezmann’s retirement decision before he made the formal announcement. He added: “Not only did I know he was going to quit, but he also explained why. But it’s always the same, it’s his decision, only he can explain to you why he made that choice.”
