French superstar Kylian Mbappe has said that modern footballers are not necessarily playing too many matches, but lack of recovery time is putting players under immense strain.
Speaking in Poland ahead of France’s 2026 World Cup qualifying opener against Ukraine, the 26-year-old forward argued that fixture congestion has become more about insufficient rest than excessive playing time.
“It is not only a matter of the number of games, but more about recovery. We just need a bit more rest, time off for our bodies to regenerate and recover from the number of matches we have to play,” Mbappé told reporters.
Mbappe featured in 59 games last season in his debut campaign with Real Madrid, scoring 44 goals across all competitions.
His season stretched from the UEFA Super Cup in August 2024 to the Club World Cup semi-final defeat to Paris Saint-Germain in July 2025, with France duty adding further demands.
The French captain admitted that his views have shifted.
“Do we play too much? No, my thinking has evolved. I did think that, but I don’t anymore, because I can understand that people watching on their sofa think we earn a lot of money and so we should play.”
However, he pointed to the expanded Club World Cup as a factor intensifying the calendar.
“We were still playing in the 2024/25 season while teams were already starting the 2025/26 pre-season. I can’t remember seeing a player, even the greatest of all time, play 60 matches in a season and always be at their best.”
Mbappe stressed that addressing the issue would benefit everyone.
“It’s a matter that needs to be looked into, because everyone will come out a winner. People will see games of a higher quality.”
France will face Ukraine on Friday, before taking on Iceland in Paris on Tuesday as they begin their Group D qualifying campaign.
