Kylian Mbappe is shutting out criticism of his early-season performances for Real Madrid as he prepares to return to France duty for Nations League fixtures against Italy and Belgium. (More Football News)
Mbappe's arrival has not brought about a flying start ﷺto 2024-25 for Madrid, who have eight points from four games to sit four adrift of pacesetters Barcelona in LaLiga.
The former Paris Saint-Germain forward failed to score in his first three league games with his new club, only to get off the mark w🗹ith a brace in Sunday's 2🔜-0 win over Real Betis.
That made him the fourth player this century to se🐭e his first two goals for Madrid come in the form of a brace, after Ronaldo, Javier Hernandez and Dani Ceballos, while Ruud van Nistelrooy scored a hat-trick.
As Mbappe returns to France duty for their opening 2024-25 Nations League fixtures, he is ignoring his critics, having recovered from a broken nose t💛hat overshadowed his Euro 2024 campaign in Ger✅many, where he failed to score from open play.
"I'm at a point in my 🌃life and career where I don't think too much about other people's evaluations," Mbappe told reporters on Thursday.
"I arrive, play and always try to give my best, to be the best possible version for the national team. I love this shirt𝓀. Then in football you can't satisfy everyone.
"In Madrid it's going very well, we've𝐆 already won a trophy. It's getting better and better in terms♏ of performance, I've scored goals, now I'm focused on the national team.
"My nose is no longer broken, so it's already better than at the🎀 European Championship.
"I had tests at Real Madrid and༺ they told me that it was not necessary to have surgery, I can breathe and sleep well. Physically, mentally, I'm fine. I am happy."
Mbappe helped France win the 2020-21 edition of the Nations League, beating Spain in the final in Milan, and despite🅺 the understated reaction to that success, he is determined to lift the trophy for a second time.
"For us there is nothing more important than the French national team, we have already won this competition and the♏re wasn't an extraordinary reaction," Mbappe said.
"We won in Milan and at the end 🌃of the game I didn't even feel like I had won a trophy. But, when we lost it, it was the end of the world."
Italy visit the Parc des Princes for Fran♈ce's first game in Group A2 on Friday, before Didier De🅰schamps' men welcome Belgium to Decines-Charpieu three days later.
