Kylian Mbappe has refuted that he was on the verge of leaving France owing to criticism of his Euro 2020 performances, saying that it was racist abuse that nearly forced him to leave Les Bleus.
Mbappe was upset and did not want to play for his country again, according to French Football Federation head Noel Le Graet, who spoke to Le Journal du Dimanche.
Last year's competition saw the 23-year-old fail to score in any of his four appearances, with France being ousted in the last 16 by Switzerland.
Following a 3-3 draw after extra time, Paris Saint-Germain striker Kylian Mbappe missed the critical spot-kick, and the reigning world champions were shocked to lose on penalties.
Mbappe responded to Le Graet's remarks on Twitter, writing: "Yes, but I made it clear to him that it was in reference to racism, not the penalty. However, he believed there had been no racism..."
Mbappe drew harsh criticism as the youthful figurehead of the France team as he struggled to make an effect on the competition.
In a Sunday newspaper interview, Le Graet said: "After the Euros, I met with him. After his missed penalty and the criticism he received on the networks, he believed the federation had failed to defend him.
"We had a five-minute meeting in my office. He was enraged and stated that he no longer wanted to play for the French team, which he obviously did not intend.
"You know how it is; he's a winner, and he was furious, just like the rest of us, when he was eliminated. He's incredibly media-friendly. He's a fantastic individual."
Since last year's disastrous Euro 2020 performance, Mbappe has played nine more times for France, helping his team qualify for the 2022 World Cup in Qatar. In 57 senior games for his country, he has 27 goals.