Zidane revisits Mbappé’s teenage Real Madrid trial before France duty
Zinedine Zidane’s working relationship with Kylian Mbappé in the France set-up began years before either man could have expected it. Ahead of France’s next match against Turkey, Zidane recalled first meeting the forward during a Real Madrid visit in 2012, when Mbappé was a 14-year-old prospect.
Mbappé, then developing at Clairefontaine, had attracted interest from leading European clubs. Real Madrid invited him and his family to Spain during the school holidays in an attempt to persuade him to join the club’s academy structure.
The visit lasted a week and included access to a private box at the Santiago Bernabéu, as well as time at Valdebebas alongside senior players including Cristiano Ronaldo. Zidane, who was working within Madrid’s sporting structure at the time, personally introduced Mbappé to the club’s facilities.
Madrid move did not materialise until 2024
Despite the attention he received in the Spanish capital, Mbappé and his family chose AS Monaco’s development pathway. The initial Madrid move therefore did not happen, although the forward eventually joined Real Madrid as a professional in 2024.
Zidane said the club had quickly recognised Mbappé’s potential during that first spell in Spain. “I did not imagine, when he arrived at Real Madrid, that we would be together with France in 2026,” Zidane said. “That was never the plan, but his potential and what he could produce on the pitch were already clear.”
He added that there was widespread excitement inside the club at the possibility of Mbappé one day wearing the Madrid shirt. “I would not necessarily say he amazed everybody immediately, but there was real enthusiasm about seeing Kylian play for Real Madrid. It did not happen then, and the rest is known,” Zidane said.
A long-standing connection for France
The pair have now moved from a mentor-and-prospect relationship to a manager-and-captain partnership for France. Their shared past at Madrid gives Zidane an unusually long perspective on Mbappé’s development, from a highly regarded teenager to one of the leading figures in international football.
France will look to carry that understanding into the forthcoming fixture against Turkey and the challenges beyond it. Zidane’s experience of handling elite players, combined with his established trust in Mbappé, is expected to be an important part of the squad’s plans for major tournaments.
