Thierry Henry has announced his preliminary France squad for the upcoming Olympic Games, with notable exclusions such as Kylian Mbappe.
The Paris Saint-Germain forward has been left out of the 25-man squad, with his anticipated transfer to Real Madrid in the coming days following their 15th Champions League triumph being a key factor. Henry, coaching the French under-23 side, has until July 3 to finalize his 22-player list for group-stage matches against the United States on July 24, Guinea on July 27, and New Zealand on July 30.
Henry faced significant challenges in squad selection due to several clubs refusing to release their players. The Olympic football event isn’t formally recognized by FIFA, so clubs are not obliged to comply. Henry commented, “Real Madrid were clear about the Olympics. It felt like facing rejections back in university—no negotiations, just a straightforward no.”
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Despite these hurdles, Henry included several promising stars from European clubs, such as Crystal Palace’s Michael Olise and Jean-Philippe Mateta, Bayern Munich’s Mathys Tel, and PSG’s Warren Zaire-Emery. However, Chelsea denied the release of Malo Gusto and Benoit Badiashile, although midfielder Lesley Ugochukwu was made available.
When asked about the Premier League clubs’ decisions, Henry stated, “Am I disappointed or surprised? No. The clubs are within their rights, unfortunately. My stance on the Olympics remains unchanged.”
France has previously secured two Olympic medals in football, with a silver in Paris in 1900 and a gold in Los Angeles in 1984. The competition rules require teams to comprise players born on or after January 1, 2001, with the allowance of three older players.
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