Kylian Mbappe absence exposes France's attacking reliance

France will have to redistribute its attacking duties and leadership when it faces Belgium without Kylian Mbappe. The captain’s injury removes more than the team’s main finisher: it also leaves the coach needing to reorganise the attack, the armband and the players expected to carry the team forward.

The gap is highlighted by how rarely France has played without Mbappe. The last such match was against Azerbaijan on 16 November 2025, when World Cup qualification had already been secured and the forward was left out to treat ankle inflammation. More than ten months later, France is again required to build an attacking plan without its central reference point.

Zinedine Zidane can use Bradley Barcola on the left, retain Michael Olise on the right and place Désiré Doué centrally. Ousmane Dembélé is a candidate to captain France for the first time, while Adrien Rabiot is another option. The reshuffle will test whether the team’s new 4-3-3 has enough collective structure beyond Mbappe’s individual acceleration. Belgium presents a more ambitious and aggressive challenge than Turkey, making the match a clear measure of France’s ability to operate without its captain.