Olympics
Olympic Games Paris 2024
Kylian Mbappe fuels French Olympic fever - ‘Everybody is going to see that Paris is the city of sport’
/dnl.eurosport.com/sd/img/placeholder/eurosport_logo_1x1.png){kind=logo}
Published 06/06/2024 at 14:10 GMT
Kylian Mbappe is ready for Paris and France to star when the Olympic Games comes to town for 17 days across July and August. Mbappe was left out of France’s initial 25-man squad but there will be plenty of other stories written into the history of the Olympics when the action begins on July 26. You can watch all the drama unfold live on Eurosport and discovery+.
'To show that Paris is a city of sport' - Mbappe on what Paris hosting an Olympic Games means
Paris is ready. France is ready. That’s Kylian Mbappe’s message as the countdown to this year’s Olympic Games intensifies.
It’s an opportunity like no other to host the world’s greatest spectacle of sport, but it’s also a great responsibility.
Known as the City of Love, the French capital will be transformed into the City of Sport as all eyes narrow on Paris for 17 days of intense action across July and August.
Dreams will be realised, some will be shattered, that’s the reality of sport at the highest level, but the Olympics is about so much more than just the lucky few who get the chance to step onto the podium.
The coming together of nations, athletes, coaches, families, people from all walks of life is just as important now as it has ever been.
Paris has the chance to showcase all of that and more. For Mbappe, as he prepares to bring his time in the French capital to an end after agreeing to leave Paris Saint-Germain for Real Madrid, his pride and anticipation shone through when speaking to CNN’s Amanda Davies.
“I hope everybody is going to see that France and Paris is the city of sport and we can do everything to receive all the world and share something amazing,” Mbappe told CNN. “That’s the most important thing.
“To show the best image of the whole country. That we are ready to accept everybody, all the cultures, all the countries to Paris to enjoy and fight for the gold medals in every sport.”
/origin-imgresizer.eurosport.com/2024/06/05/3982921-80834128-2560-1440.jpg)
'I was convinced that I wasn't going to play' - Mbappe on final season at PSG
As it stands, Mbappe won’t be involved in the fight for a gold medal after the star striker was left out of Thierry Henry’s initial 25-man squad. He has always said he would love to represent his country on the biggest stage in front of his home fans but has also been accepting that he could miss out.
“I have always had the same ambition: the Olympics in Paris are special,” he said back in March. “I have arrived at a point in my career where I take a step back: if I go there [to the Olympics], I will live a dream awake. And if I don't, I'll accept and do what I'm told.”
Mbappe’s former PSG team-mates Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola have been included in the squad, which also includes three Premier League players – Chelsea’s Lesley Ugochukwu and the Crystal Palace duo of Jean-Philippe Mateta and Michael Olise.
There are few teams in the world that wouldn’t be strengthened with the addition of Mbappe, but Henry revealed it was the 25-year-old’s new club who dashed his Olympic dream.
“Real Madrid were really straightforward about the Olympics,” Henry said. “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.”
But whether that stance changes or not, the drama in Paris will still grab the attention like few events can.
New stars will emerge, storied careers will come to an end, all of which will add fresh chapters into the unmatched legacy of the Olympics.
- - -
discovery+ is the streaming home of the Olympic Games, the only place you can watch every moment of Paris 2024 this summer
Scan me
Related Topics
Share this article
Advertisement
Advertisement