(Reuters) - Kylian Mbappe said he remained committed to the French national team despite not being called up for recent games, and that he respected the decisions made by coach Didier Deschamps.
"The French team has always been the highest rank in football, it's the national team. I've always said there's nothing more important. My love for the French team hasn't changed," Mbappe said in an interview with Canal+ on Sunday.
"I've always given my all," added the France captain, who has not featured for the Les Bleus since two Nations League games in early September.
"You serve your country and that's it... I always held the French national team to the highest level. I did everything possible to represent it as best as possible."
The 25-year-old striker has been hailed as one of the world's best players and moved to Spanish giants Real Madrid in July.
He has 86 caps for France but was not included in the squads for their more recent Nations League fixtures in October and November.
"I can't talk about November because it was a decision from the coach (Deschamps) and I'll get behind what he said. I fully respect his decision because he is the boss. I wanted to go but I can't say why," he said.
Real have struggled at the start of the season and face the threat of elimination from the Champions League group stage, sitting 24th and last in the play-off spots.
"It's not the best start to the season, either collectively or individually. We're preparing for the moments that will count. It hasn't met expectations but at Real you're expected to perform in the second half of the season," Mbappe said.
The football calendar has become a major concern for elite players, with the increasing number of fixtures potentially contributing to injuries, a concern shared by Mbappe.
"In the NBA (National Basketball Association), they get four months off. We get two weeks. And in the second week, we’re already back to running. It’s not a vacation," he said.
The impact of such a demanding schedule has clearly weighed on him, especially after Euro 2024, much of which he played with a face mask after breaking his nose and where he asked to go off during extra time in France's quarter-final because of fatigue. France went out in the last four.
"I was tired. I wanted to stay because you give everything for the French team but it was exhausting," Mbappe said.
(Reporting by Vincent Daheron, Writing by Tommy Lund in Gdansk; editing by Clare Fallon)
