Kylian Mbappe will always put the team first and is ready to lead from the front as France prepare to open their Euro 2024 campaign against Austria, says Didier Deschamps.

Having scored 44 goals in his final season with Paris Saint-Germain before sealing his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, Mbappe will captain his country at a first major tournament, following Hugo Lloris' international retirement.

Les Bleus are among the favourites but the same was true when they crashed out in the last 16 at Euro 2020, losing to Switzerland in a penalty shoot-out.

Mbappe failed to score at that tournament, but his coach is certain he is in top condition ahead of Monday's game in Dusseldorf.

"He is always at the centre of things. That won't change," Deschamps told The Athletic of Mbappe. 

"He will not do anything that goes against the collective interest. It won't be any problem. He is in very good shape, very happy, and concentrated on working hard. 

"The most important thing is that he has the greatest possible freedom. My objective is to put him in the best conditions, and put the team in the best conditions, so that he can be as effective as possible."

Asked about Mbappe's leadership qualities, Deschamps continued: "He speaks but he is not there to be overbearing. 

"If you are not with him, you don’t see how he is with his partners on a daily basis. He has always been part of a collective project, even if he is an extraordinary player who is able to make a difference on his own."

Opponents Austria have been touted by some as a potential surprise package after impressing in their first qualification campaign under Ralf Rangnick, finishing just one point behind Belgium.

"If we're complete, then we're a team that is very hard to beat," the former Manchester United boss said. "We're able to compete with anyone at a high level. 

"We saw that during friendlies against Germany and Italy [both 2-0 wins], but also during the qualifiers against Sweden [2-0 and 3-1 victories]. 

"We're not going to the Euros just to participate. We have faith in ourselves and believe we can qualify for the next round."

PLAYERS TO WATCH 

Austria – Marcel Sabitzer

Sabitzer was involved in six goals in seven appearances during Euro 2024 qualifying (four goals, two assists), the most of any Austria player.

The Borussia Dortmund man also created the most big chances (four) and accumulated the highest expected assists figure (1.6 xA) of any Austrian.

France – Kylian Mbappe 

Across the last three major international tournaments (2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), Mbappe has scored 12 goals. Harry Kane is the only European player to match that tally.

However, all of those goals have come at World Cups. He failed to convert any of his 14 shots at Euro 2020 and also missed the decisive spot-kick as France lost to Switzerland on penalties. He will be desperate to atone at this tournament, starting on Monday.

MATCH PREDICTION – FRANCE WIN

France enter Euro 2024 as one of the favourites, with the Opta supercomputer giving them a 19.1 per cent chance of lifting the trophy before the tournament began. They are expected to live up to that billing here.

Les Bleus have reached the final at three of their last four major tournaments, being losing finalists at Euro 2016 and the 2022 World Cup and winning the 2018 World Cup.

They plundered 29 goals in their eight qualifiers, with 14 different players getting on the scoresheet for them (excluding own goals) – the largest spread of any nation. 

With the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Olivier Giroud and Antoine Griezmann – who has 18 goal contributions at major tournaments since the start of Euro 2016 (11 goals, seven assists) – supporting Mbappe, they should have too much for Austria.

Austria have only won one of their last 10 matches against France in all competitions (two draws, seven defeats), triumphing 3-1 in a 2010 World Cup qualifier in September 2008.

The teams have, however, managed one win apiece from their two previous tournament meetings. Austria claimed a 3-2 victory at the 1934 World Cup, and France won 1-0 at the 1982 competition.

OPTA WIN PROBABILITY

Austria – 15.5% 

France – 65.8%

Draw – 18.7%

From Gerd Muller to Marco van Basten, Alan Shearer to Fernando Torres, some of the greatest strikers to have played the game have had the honour of winning the Golden Boot at a European Championship.

When Europe's finest descend upon Germany for the 17th edition of UEFA's flagship international tournament, a mix of established greats and young prospects will vie to be the continent's best goalscorer.

Can Cristiano Ronaldo mark what will surely be his final major tournament by becoming the first two-time recipient of the Golden Boot, or might Harry Kane or Kylian Mbappe upstage the Portugal legend? 

As the build-up to Euro 2024 continues, we delve into the Opta data to assess the chances of the leading contenders, pick out a couple of potential dark horses and ask what lessons we can take from previous Golden Boot winners.

THE FAVOURITES

Kylian Mbappe

Where else to start but with Mbappe? 

The France captain is again among the favourites to top the goalscoring charts, having netted eight times to win the Golden Boot as Les Bleus came up just short at the 2022 World Cup.

While Mbappe has 12 goals in 14 World Cup matches and looks destined to obliterate Miroslav Klose's record of 16, he failed to score at his only previous Euros, even missing the decisive kick as France went out to Switzerland on penalties three years ago. 

At Euro 2020, only Alvaro Morata (six), Gerard Moreno and Kane (five each) missed more big chances (as defined by Opta) than Mbappe (four). His 14 total shots amounted to 1.7 expected goals (xG), with only Moreno (-2.25) and Dani Olmo (-1.86) underperforming their xG figures by a greater margin. 

However, few would predict a repeat following a season in which Mbappe scored 44 times in 47 games, a tally only matched by Kane among players from Europe's top five leagues. 

Mbappe also scored nine times in eight Euro 2024 qualifiers, though the depth of attacking talent available to Didier Deschamps – and the likelihood of Mbappe playing from the left flank – could mean they are slightly less reliant on one star than other nations. 

France had the largest spread of goalscorers of any side during qualifying, with 14 different players scoring at least once for them, excluding own goals. 

A testing Group D draw could also work against him; Austria and the Netherlands both conceded just seven goals in eight qualifiers, while Poland shipped 10 in their group games. However, should France go all the way, he will likely provide some big moments.

Harry Kane

As the only player in Europe's top five leagues to match Mbappe in 2023-24, many feel Kane was let down by those around him as Bayern Munich relinquished their Bundesliga crown.

Having suffered final heartache at Euro 2020, Kane will be desperate to end his major trophy hoodoo in his new homeland.

Kane is England's record goalscorer overall (63 goals) and their most prolific player at major tournaments (12 goals at World Cup/Euros). Across the last three tournaments (2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and 2022 World Cup), Mbappe is the only player to match Kane's return. 

He scored or assisted on all seven of his starts in qualifying (eight goals, two assists) and despite failing to capture silverware in his first season in Germany, he sent records tumbling in a brilliant individual campaign.

Thirty-six goals in 32 games made Kane's debut campaign the most prolific in Bundesliga history, with only Robert Lewandowski (41 in 2020-21) and Muller (40 in 1971-72, 38 in 1969-70) ever scoring more in a single season. 

A kind group-stage draw should allow Kane the chance to build some early momentum. Serbia are making their first Euros appearance as an independent nation, while Slovenia are embarking on their first campaign since 2000.

Even Denmark – against whom Kane scored the winner in the Euro 2020 semi-finals – could give up plenty of opportunities.

Their previous 33 matches at the Euros have produced an average of 2.79 goals per game (42 for, 50 against), the highest ratio among the 12 teams to have played at least 20 games.

Cristiano Ronaldo

Portugal's Euro 2020 campaign ended in last-16 heartache against Belgium, but in just four games, Ronaldo did enough to claim the Golden Boot with five goals and one assist, edging out Patrik Schick.

In many ways, this is Ronaldo's competition. He holds the tournament records for most games (25), most goals (14), joint-most assists on record (six – starting in 1972) and most editions with at least one goal (five).

Since 1972, Ronaldo has recorded twice as many goal involvements as any other player at the Euros (20 – 14 goals, six assists), with Michel Platini a distant second (10, nine goals, one assist).

However, age catches up with everyone, and many have questioned the 39-year-old's value to the Selecao since he swapped Manchester United for Al-Nassr after the 2022 World Cup.

Ronaldo may not be playing at the peak of the European game any more, but he set a new single-season record with 35 Saudi Pro League goals in 2023-24, overperforming his xG total of 30.68 even while missing more big chances than any other player in the league (33).

Questions persist regarding Ronaldo's ability to fit into a coherent off-the-ball structure, but if chances fall his way, he is likely to take them. 

He should not suffer from a lack of service. Of the top 10 players in Europe's top five leagues for open-play chances created in 2023-24 (all competitions), three were Portuguese – Bruno Fernandes (first, 111), Bernardo Silva (eighth, 84) and Rafael Leao (joint-10th, 82).

Romelu Lukaku

Lukaku became Belgium's all-time leading goalscorer all the way back in 2018 and now has 85 goals in 115 senior international appearances. 

Eleven of those strikes have come at major tournaments (World Cup/Euros), though he struggled enormously in Qatar two years ago and has only netted twice in knockout games for his country.

However, he should not be discounted from the Golden Boot race at this year's tournament.

Lukaku scored an astonishing 14 goals in eight Euro 2024 qualifiers, setting a new record for a single qualification campaign. He scored every 39 minutes on average and converted almost half of his shots (29), accounting for 63.6 per cent of total goals scored by Domenico Tedesco's men (22).

With Slovakia, Romania and Ukraine awaiting Belgium in Group E and a third-place finisher next up if they top their pool, Lukaku should be confident of a strong start.

Like Ronaldo, he will also be serviced by some of the continent's best creators.

Since the start of the 2014 World Cup, Kevin De Bruyne's nine assists at major tournaments (five at the Euros, four at World Cups) are the most of any European player, and he led all Premier League players for expected assists (0.42 xA) and chances created (3.37) per 90 minutes in 2023-24.

Ranking second for xA per 90 (0.33) and third for chances created (2.49)? That would be De Bruyne's City and Belgium team-mate Jeremy Doku. Lukaku will not want for opportunities.

Alvaro Morata

Euro 2020 will live long in the memory of Atletico Madrid striker Morata, but perhaps not for the right reasons.

He netted three times as Spain made the last four, but he was also criticised after missing more big chances (six) than any other player at the tournament. To make matters worse, it was his unsuccessful penalty which allowed Italy to beat La Roja in a semi-final shoot-out.

However, Morata does have a decent pedigree at the Euros, ranking joint-fifth in the competition's all-time goalscoring charts, his six strikes equalling the likes of Patrick Kluivert, Wayne Rooney, Thierry Henry and Zlatan Ibrahimovic.

Meanwhile, Joselu – Morata's understudy for this tournament – was the only Spain player to match his four goals in qualifying.

Luis de la Fuente's approach does not differ greatly from that of Luis Enrique, so Spain will be patient in their bid to create chances.

La Roja's last 50 goals at the Euros have all been scored from inside the box, their last long-range strike coming via Raul against Slovenia in 2000.

Morata scored 15 goals in 27 LaLiga matches in 2023-24, making it his joint-most prolific campaign in one of Europe's top five leagues (he also netted 15 times for Real Madrid in 2016-17). 

THE OUTSIDERS

Florian Wirtz

The likes of Kai Havertz and Niclas Fullkrug are battling it out to lead the line for Germany, but perhaps their main goal threat will come from deep if Julian Nagelsmann implements a fluid system.

Bayer Leverkusen star Wirtz was crowned Bundesliga Player of the Year after scoring 11 goals and providing 11 assists throughout their unbeaten campaign, also netting four times on their run to the Europa League final.

Gianluca Scamacca

Leverkusen's European campaign ended in heartbreaking fashion against Atalanta in Dublin. While Ademola Lookman did the damage in the final, Scamacca also shone for La Dea and has a great chance of starting at the Euros, given Italy's lack of true striking options.

Scamacca only has one goal in 16 senior appearances for Italy, but if Luciano Spalletti picks his team on form, the former West Ham striker should make it in. He scored 19 goals in all competitions in 2023-24, outperforming his xG total of 11.2 by a huge differential of 7.8.  

Rasmus Hojlund

Might a former Atalanta forward also find himself in contention? Hojlund endured an up-and-down debut season with Manchester United, but he ended it on a high by scoring in his last two Premier League games before helping them triumph in the FA Cup final.

Hojlund top-scored for Denmark with seven goals in qualifying, also leading his team-mates for shots (23), shots on target (13) and xG (5.2). If Denmark are to push England close in Group C, they will need their number nine in top form.

What does history tell us? 

We are highly unlikely to see anyone match Platini's incredible nine-goal haul from Euro 1984, but looking at recent Golden Boot winners does allow us to draw a few conclusions about what is needed to come out on top. 

Since the Euros expanded to 16 teams for 1996, the fewest goals needed to win the Golden Boot was three, with Torres taking the honours in 2012, after his team-mate David Villa did so with four in 2008.

Antoine Griezmann's six goals in 2016 is the closest any player has ever come to Platini's haul, while four of the last seven editions have seen the leading scorer finish on five goals. 

Griezmann and Platini, alongside Shearer in 1996, are also the only standalone winners to claim the award while representing the host nation.

It is also interesting to note that team success does not necessarily translate to individual honours. 

Spain duo Villa and Torres are the only players to claim the Golden Boot as tournament winners since 1992 (when Denmark's Henrik Larsen shared it with three other players).

A deep run of sorts is usually required, though. Ronaldo won the Euro 2020 Golden Boot despite Portugal exiting in the last 16, but the previous four standalone winners all played for teams who reached the semi-finals as a minimum.

As you might have guessed, having the best goalscorer in the competition helps, but it is no guarantee of glory.

Few England fans will be consoled by a Kane Golden Boot if the Three Lions fall short.   

Kylian Mbappe hopes to avoid any hangover from World Cup disappointment as the France forward searches for his elusive final international crown at Euro 2024.

The Real Madrid-bound forward scored a hat-trick in the final of FIFA's global tournament in 2022, though that was not enough to stop Argentina from winning on penalties in Saudi Arabia.

Another major tournament is on the horizon as the European Championship awaits in Germany, where Didier Deschamps' side rank as the favourites alongside Gareth Southgate's England.

Euros success is the only glory missing from Mbappe's glittering resume, having won the World Cup in 2018 and the Nations League as well, though the 25-year-old hopes to end that this time around.

The former Paris Saint-Germain told CNN Sport: "I want to win the Euros. I have to be honest. I won the World Cup. I won the Nations League.

"That's the only one that missed me with the national team after I did everything with the national team. I really want to win this.

"My first competition as captain, so it's really important for me and it's always important for the country and we want them to be proud of us.

"[It's] another opportunity to write the history of my country."

Mbappe endured a woeful tournament at Euro 2020, failing to score from chances amounting to 1.7 xG in four games, before missing the vital penalty as France lost to Switzerland in a last-16 shoot-out.

Coming into this tournament on the back of a 44-goal season with PSG and with his long-term future decided, few would back a repeat from Madrid's newest Galactico. 

France open their group-stage campaign against Austria on Monday before facing the Netherlands and Austria in a testing pool.

Mbappe believes Les Bleus can take the learnings from the last World Cup into their next quest for the European crown.

"I think we have to move forward," the world-class forward added. "Of course, we were hurt, to see that you're close to something...

"Close to the back-to-back. Something amazing. Something historic. Everybody loved the game except for us.

"We didn't like that, but it's part of the game. Now, when I watch the video of the game, I watch with a smile because it's part of the history and we know what we have to do if we go again in the final.

"We have to play all the game and have no reaction."

France failed to round off their Euro 2024 preparations with a victory as they were held to a goalless draw by Jesse Marsch's impressive Canada side in Bordeaux.

With captain Kylian Mbappe starting on the bench after picking up a knock against Luxembourg on Wednesday, Didier Deschamps' team were unable to find a way through and were arguably fortunate to avoid an upset.

Antoine Griezmann saw a low drive tipped wide by Maxime Crepeau in the first half, but Canada went closer shortly after the restart as Liam Millar curled a shot against Mike Maignan's crossbar.

Olivier Giroud – playing his final home international before he calls time on his France career after the Euros – miscued on the volley before substitute Randal Kolo Muani somehow headed wide when totally unmarked late on.

Having entered the fray as a 74th-minute substitute, Mbappe tried to provide some inspiration with a mazy run in stoppage time, but his powerful drive was pushed away by Crepeau as Canada stepped up their Copa America preparations with a creditable result.

Data Debrief: No way through for Les Bleus

France will not be panicking just yet, with Mbappe's absence from their starting lineup an obvious factor as they struggled to break Canada down, but they will certainly need more in the final third when they face Austria in eight days' time.

They actually managed fewer final-third entries (40 to 50) than Canada, only hitting the target with four of their 13 attempts.

Ousmane Dembele attempted to provide some much-needed drive, attempting more dribbles in the first half alone (11, finished with 13) than in any other game for France. However, end product was lacking for both the winger and his team-mates. 

Kylian Mbappe's move to Real Madrid is "a nail in football's coffin" and symptomatic of the transfer market approaching breaking point, believes Bayern Munich's sporting director Max Eberl.

Mbappe finally sealed his long-awaited move to Madrid earlier this week, leaving Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent after seven years at the Parc des Princes.

The forward has signed a five-year contract with the European champions and will reportedly earn €15million (£12.7m) per year and receive a signing-on bonus of €150m (£127.7m).

Eberl believes that level of financial outlay cannot be sustained, predicting the tendency for top players to run their contracts down will kill the market.

"You can always become more of a money-grubbing person, but everyone who is a money-grubbing person will gradually become a nail in football's coffin," he told Suddeutsche Zeitung.

"If all the money goes out [of the market] at some point, there will be nothing left for us to do business with. 

"We're talking about hundreds of millions. That's too much and at some point you get the feeling that it will burst. 

"At some point it will be oversaturated and Saudi Arabia will come along. That doesn't feel very good. The money is leaving the market. No club benefits from it. 

"Players, families, agents, everyone benefits, but not the clubs. In the past, at least clubs profited. The money stayed in the cycle and that will become less and less now."

Mbappe scored a club-record 256 goals for PSG, including 42 in the Champions League.

Adding 108 assists for the perennial Ligue 1 victors, Mbappe's 364 goal involvements rank as the most for PSG this century – ahead of Edinson Cavani (236) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (210).

He also scored 44 times in 48 games for PSG in 2023-24, a tally only matched by Bayern star Harry Kane among players from Europe's top five leagues.

Mbappe is currently preparing to lead tournament favourites France at Euro 2024, having scored 12 goals across Les Bleus' last three major tournaments – the 2018 World Cup, Euro 2020 and the 2022 World Cup, with all of those strikes coming at the World Cups. Kane is also the only player to match that figure.

Kylian Mbappe put the furore over his move to Real Madrid to one side as France's "fantastic leader" dominated in Wednesday's 3-0 friendly victory over Luxembourg.

Didier Deschamps lauded the leadership qualities of star striker Mbappe, who celebrated confirmation of his switch to the Spanish capital with a goal and two assists at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.

Mbappe dazzled down the left flank to find space and tee up Randal Kolo Muani's first-half opener before paving the way for Jonathan Clauss' finish after the break.

The France forward was not done there, however, rounding off a fine individual performance with a late goal after an assist from former Paris Saint-Germain team-mate Bradley Barcola.

Just 12 days before Les Bleus' Euro 2024 opener against Austria, France head coach Deschamps was delighted with Mbappe's resounding international return.

Deschamps told French channel TF1: "He's a fantastic leader. His head and body weren't used to playing so little. He lacked a bit of juice.

"But he got it in his head that he was going to do everything to make up for his PSG frustration. It was a good example during the week."

France have a final warm-up friendly to come against Canada on Sunday before heading to the Euros, with Netherlands and Poland also in their challenging group.

Deschamps says this dominance over Luxembourg was a positive sign, though there remains room for improvement.

"It's a good rehearsal for the work we've done," he added.

"We're not going to get excited but there are some interesting things. I'm going to correct some positioning.

"But in the offensive animation, we had a lot of variety."

Olivier Giroud also became France's oldest player in history in the victory, coming on as a second-half substitute aged 37 years and 249 days.

Kylian Mbappe assisted two goals and scored the other as France eased to a 3-0 victory over Luxembourg in Wednesday's international friendly at Stade Saint-Symphorien in Metz.

In a game in which Olivier Giroud came on to become Les Blues' oldest-ever player aged 37 years and 249 days, new Real Madrid superstar Mbappe stole the show as France kicked off their preparations for Euro 2024 in a serene manner.

The former Paris Saint-Germain forward crossed for Randal Kolo Muani to head home the opener two minutes before half-time after a jinking run down the left, before fizzing in a delivery for Jonathan Clauss to settle himself and flash home a second in the 70th minute.

Mbappe was not finished there as he was teed up by former club-mate Bradley Barcola to slide in the third of the game for France, who did have one moment of concern as Dayot Upamecano departed with a knock.

Data Debrief: Mbappe overtakes two fellow greats

Mbappe has now assisted 28 goals for France, which is two more than Zinedine Zidane and Thierry Henry. Indeed, over the past 50 years, only Antoine Griezmann (30) has provided more.

While the victory was straightforward enough for Didier Deschamps' men, who face Canada in their final pre-Euro 2024 friendly, their expected goals return (xG) of 1.46 - compared to 0.13 for Luxembourg - was lower than many would have anticipated.

Kylian Mbappe has revealed that some people at Paris Saint-Germain made him "unhappy" in his first news conference since joining Real Madrid.

The Frenchman announced last month that he was leaving PSG after seven seasons at the club, and his long-awaited move to the Spanish capital was confirmed on Monday.

He has signed as a free transfer on a five-year contract with Madrid and will officially make the move in July when his PSG contract expires.

Speaking to the media ahead of France's friendly against Luxembourg, Mbappe addressed speculation over his situation at PSG prior to his move.

"Everyone knows the news, it's official, I'm going to be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons," he said.

"It's an immense pleasure, a dream come true. It's very exciting. I am very happy, liberated, relieved and extremely proud. This is the club I've always dreamed of being at, so I want to thank them.

"I wasn't unhappy at PSG, that would be a slap in the face of the people who defended me - I have always been happy.

"But certain things made me unhappy, but a player like me couldn't show that because I am a leader, so I tried to be as positive as possible. The coach, the players and the employees of the club supported me, and it would be bad form to come and moan and say that I was unhappy. But certain things and people made me unhappy."

Last season began in turmoil for Mbappe, who was left out of the PSG squad due to an argument with the club's president, Nasser Al-Khelaifi, over his contract renewal.

The France captain has highlighted Luis Enrique as the main reason for the turnaround, as he finished the season with 44 goals, winning Ligue 1 and the Coupe de France.

"[The club] made me understand that I wouldn't play, they told me to my face, they told me violently," he added.

"Luis Enrique and Luis Campos saved me. I wouldn't have set foot on the pitch again without them.

"Just the fact I was playing was a great source of pride, but it's certain that next year I won't be satisfied with a year like that."

Kylian Mbappe revelled in a "dream come true" after completing his long-awaited blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

The France captain signed a five-year deal with the newly crowned Champions League winners, who he will join as a free agent in July when his contract with Paris Saint-Germain expires.

Mbappe, who was heavily linked with a move away, officially announced his departure from the Ligue 1 champions in early May, bowing out after Luis Enrique's side completed the double with victory in the Coupe de France.

The forward was expected to join Madrid in the 2021-22 season, but rejected the opportunity in favour of signing a two-year contract extension with PSG.

However, two years later, Los Blancos have finally got their man, who took to Instagram to share his delight at joining "the club of my dreams".

"Nobody can understand how excited I am right now!" Mbappe told his 116 millions followers. "A dream come true. So happy and proud to join the club of my dreams."

Mbappe departs PSG as the club's all-time leading scorer with 256 goals, with 44 of those coming in 48 appearances last season.

He now turns his attention to Euro 2024, where Didier Deschamps' France will be targeting their third European crown and looking to go one better than their run to the 2022 World Cup final.

Les Bleus, who complete their preparations with friendlies against Luxembourg and Canada this week, begin their campaign against Austria on June 17, while also facing the Netherlands and Poland in Group D.

Kylian Mbappe has completed his long-awaited move to Real Madrid, signing as a free agent on a five-year deal after leaving Paris Saint-Germain.

The France international announced his decision to part ways with the Ligue 1 champions in early May, waving farewell after Coupe de France glory later in the month.

Madrid have repeatedly chased the signature of the 25-year-old, failing to secure his signing in the 2021-22 season as Mbappe opted to pen a two-year extension in the French capital.

Yet Carlo Ancelotti and Los Blancos have finally got their man, confirming the much-anticipated deal for the former Monaco forward on Monday.

In a club statement, Madrid said: "Real Madrid and Kylian Mbappe have reached an agreement whereby he will be a Real Madrid player for the next five seasons."

The France captain will officially move to Madrid in July when his PSG contract expires.

Mbappe leaves Paris with a club-record 256 goals across his seven seasons, including 42 in the Champions League, as Luis Enrique and the French giants prepare for life without their superstar forward.

Adding in 108 assists for the perennial Ligue 1 title-winning machine, Mbappe's 364 goal involvements rank as the most for PSG this century – ahead of Edinson Cavani (236) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (210).

Mbappe also scored 44 times in 48 games for PSG this season, a tally only matched by Bayern Munich's Harry Kane among players from Europe's top five leagues.

With Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Rodrygo to call upon already, Ancelotti adds further firepower to a Madrid side that secured their 15th Champions League crown in June, as well as LaLiga glory.

Madrid were expected to seal this deal for some time, with announcements held off before the Champions League final victory over Borussia Dortmund.

Yet with Euro 2024 on the horizon for Mbappe and France, the reigning Spanish champions have quietened the growing speculation by confirming his arrival.

France captain Mbappe is again among the favourites to top the goalscoring charts at the Euros in Germany, having scored eight times to win the Golden Boot as Les Bleus came up just short at the 2022 World Cup.

Mbappe found the net nine times in eight Euro 2024 qualifiers as Didier Deschamps' team prepare to open their campaign against Austria on June 17, before meeting Netherlands and Poland.

He will hope to power his country to a third European Championship title, having finished runners-up to Portugal eight years ago, before moving to Madrid for the 2024-25 season.

Kylian Mbappe has been left out of France's 25-man preliminary Olympics squad ahead of the Games in Paris starting next month. 

Thierry Henry, who is the coach of Les Bleus' under-23 side, did not include the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who is expected to complete a move to Real Madrid in the coming days following Los Blancos' 15th Champions League success. 

The 46-year-old has until July 3 to confirm his final 22-player list ahead of group-stage fixtures against the United States on July 24, Guinea on July 27 and New Zealand on July 30.

Henry has revealed he faced plenty of difficulties when selecting his squad, with several clubs refusing to release their players for the tournament. 

Because the football event at the Olympics is not formally recognised by FIFA, clubs are not obliged to release their players for the competition, which begins on July 24 and ends on August 9.

"Real Madrid were really straightforward about the Olympics," Henry said when quizzed about Mbappe's omission from the squad. 

"The last time I received so many rejections was at the university. There have not even been negotiations. You go, you ask, they say no, and you leave."

Henry was able to include several talented stars from across European football, including Crystal Palace duo Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, while Bayern Munich's Mathys Tel and PSG's Warren Zaire-Emery were among the other high-profile inclusions. 

However, Chelsea stars Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile were refused release from Stamford Bridge, but the Blues were able to offer midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu. 

Asked if he was disappointed by the decisions made by Premier League clubs, Henry replied: "I will respond to this one very, very clearly – it's not the time for me to talk about that, firstly.

"Secondly, am I disappointed or surprised? No. Neither disappointed nor surprised, the clubs are within their rights, unfortunately, and I think what I have been saying hasn't changed since I started talking about the Olympics."

Les Bleus have previously won two medals at the Olympic Games, taking silver on home soil in Paris back in 1900 and gold at Los Angeles in 1984.

The rules of the competition state that each team must be made up of players born on or after January 1, 2001 (aged 23 at the time of the Games). However, three players born before that date can also be included.

Antoine Griezmann called on France's players and staff - and the French media - to ensure Kylian Mbappe is "in the best condition" to lead Les Bleus to glory at Euro 2024.

Didier Deschamps' side are among the favourites to land a record-equalling third European Championship crown in Germany, adding to their triumphs of 1984 and 2000.

The future of Mbappe, who is expected to play a starring role in France's cause, remains uncertain following his departure from Paris Saint-Germain, though he is heavily linked with a blockbuster move to Real Madrid.

Griezmann does not expect the ongoing speculation to affect his team-mate, but insists everyone must pull together to put the skipper in the best shape to deliver the goods for Les Bleus.

"He knows how to put things into perspective," the Atletico Madrid forward told reporters during a press conference. "It's up to us and the staff to put him in the best condition. It's also up to [the media] to talk less about it, but I understand.

"We know him. He is a very important player for us. It's up to everyone to put him in the best condition, and we're going to do it so that it takes us as far as possible. He's big, and he knows how to handle all that very well.

Griezmann is gearing up for his third European Championship with France, who will face the Netherlands, Poland and Austria in Group D.

The 33-year-old top-scored with six goals as Les Bleus narrowly came up short as hosts in 2016 - losing to Portugal in the final - while Switzerland beat them on penalties in the last 16 of the delayed 2020 event.

And he believes that solid foundations at the back will be crucial if he and the nation are to be victorious this time around.

"We were so close [in 2016]," he said. "It was the same thing at the last European Championship, with the penalties.

"I have a lot of desire and a lot of ambition, but we will have to prove it on the pitch. For me, the key - even if it's always very boring - is going to be the defence, a solid team, tough during challenges, and very good defensively."

Kylian Mbappe reportedly nearing a move to Real Madrid does not change the intentions of Rodrygo, who hit out at speculation to end any uncertainty over his future in Spain.

Carlo Ancelotti's side are expected to complete the signing of long-term target Mbappe after the France international announced his intentions to leave Paris Saint-Germain at the end of this season.

With Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham to call upon, Los Blancos will have three of the world's best – and most exciting – young attacking talent to choose from.

Rodrygo may have to settle for a backup role behind that star trio and suggested in an interview to Placar TV earlier this month that he may be open to a Premier League move.

Yet the Brazilian took to social media late on Tuesday to rubbish those reports of discontent in the Spanish capital.

"A very annoying situation occurred today, where one of my interviews was completely taken out of context," the Brazilian posted on X. 

"To be very direct, I am very happy at Real Madrid, I live a dream every day and it does not cross my mind to leave the club of my life!"

Rodrygo has scored 17 times across all competitions this season, adding a further eight assists for his 25 goal involvements.

The 23-year-old's direct goal contributions this term can only be bettered by Bellingham (35) and Vinicius (32), as Madrid prepare for the Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund on Saturday.

A 15th European title is within touching distance, with Madrid's 14 already seven more than any other side in history, and Rodrygo insists his full focus remains on Los Blancos' success at Wembley Stadium.

"Now we continue with history to make, by 15... HALA MADRID AND NOTHING MORE!"

Kylian Mbappe will draw plenty of attention as speculation swirls over an impending move to Real Madrid, but France head coach Didier Deschamps is not one to place much focus on his superstar forward.

The France international is reportedly readying to complete his switch to Madrid, after announcing the 2023-24 campaign will be his last with Paris Saint-Germain.

Los Blancos are not expected to confirm the deal until after Saturday's Champions League final against Borussia Dortmund, though focus will swiftly turn to Euro 2024 later next month.

Addressing a press conference on Wednesday, Mbappe dominated the line of questioning – but Deschamps remains unbothered by the speculation and acknowledged he is content to "adapt" to the situation.

"It doesn't depend on me," the Les Bleus head coach said as impatience grows for Mbappe's move to be announced in the Spanish capital.

"They will decide when it will be time to make it official. As far as possible, I will adapt to the collective and the French team."

Mbappe leaves Paris with 256 goals across his seven seasons, including 42 in the Champions League, as Luis Enrique prepares for life without the 25-year-old.

Adding in 96 assists for the Ligue 1 champions, Mbappe's 352 goal involvements rank as the most for PSG this century – ahead of Edinson Cavani (236) and Zlatan Ibrahimovic (210).

"You don't think he's in good shape... He only scored 44 goals in the season, he could have done better," a teasing Deschamps added.

"He played in a Coupe de France final, he's active."

Though Mbappe remains the focus of European football interest, Deschamps has no intention to treat the attacker any different to his France team-mates.

"The context in the French team is different, I'm not going to pay more attention to him in relation to that aspect," the veteran boss continued.

"But I understand that from the outside, the media aspect in relation to [the club's] decisions and the announcement, it takes up a lot of time."

Deschamps will hope his France team can focus solely on their upcoming Euro 2024 campaign soon, which they start against Austria on June 17.

The Les Bleus manager wants to have qualification sealed by defeating Austria and Netherlands, before a final group-stage meeting with Poland.

"I am a positive person, and I am driven by the idea that every day that goes by brings us closer to a positive response," he said. "Everything will be done to make sure things go as smoothly as possible."

Kylian Mbappe says he is leaving Paris Saint-Germain with his head held high but Luis Enrique does not expect to replace his star forward.

Mbappe announced this month he would leave the French capital at the end of the season after a seven-year stay during which he became their all-time top scorer, with 256 goals.

His last game for Luis Enrique's side came in Saturday's Coupe de France final at Lille's Stade Pierre-Mauroy, with first-half strikes from Ousmane Dembele and Fabian Ruiz securing a 2-1 win against Lyon.

"It was both difficult and enjoyable because it's a final, and in the end, we won. It's filled with joy," Mbappe told reporters.

"It's all good memories, many years, both at PSG and of course in this league. We leave with our heads held high, especially with a trophy, and we only keep the positives."

Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move to Spanish giants Real Madrid.

Asked why he had not announced his next club yet, the 25-year-old said: "Because I think that the best thing to do is to finish these goodbyes.

"I think all I wanted was to finish well with my club. There's a trophy. I think there's a time for everything.

"I'll announce my new club in due course. I think we're just a few days away, so there's no problem."

PSG head coach Luis Enrique says there will be no single replacement for Mbappe, placing the focus on the entire team.

"I have had the good fortune to coach Kylian this season, it has been a difficult one for him after seven years at his club and all that he has achieved, it is difficult to say goodbye," Enrique told a news conference.

"There is no substitute for Mbappe, we cannot replace him, we will do it through the team and four, five or six signings we can make.

"Kylian's replacement will be the team that, along with the fans and our ambition, will try to win everything in the following seasons."