The World Cup is yet to get underway, but France have already found themselves at the centre of social media speculation following a viral video involving Kylian Mbappé and N’Golo Kanté.
The footage emerged ahead of Les Bleus’ friendly clash with Ivory Coast, a match that ended in a disappointing 2-1 defeat for the French side.
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While the result itself attracted attention, it was a brief interaction between two of France’s biggest stars that quickly became a major talking point online.
In the video, recorded inside the players’ tunnel before kick-off, substitutes can be seen greeting members of the starting lineup before making their way toward the bench.
Kanté exchanges greetings with several teammates as he walks through the tunnel.
However, when he reaches Mbappé, there appears to be no acknowledgement between the pair, with both players seemingly passing each other without any visible interaction.
The clip quickly spread across social media platforms, prompting fans to speculate about the nature of their relationship.
Many users began analysing the footage frame by frame, attempting to determine whether there could be tension between the two France internationals.
The discussion intensified after another video resurfaced online. Some supporters connected the latest incident to an earlier claim involving Rayan Cherki.
According to reports circulating on social media, Mbappé had allegedly asked Cherki to take the captain’s armband from Kanté and hand it to him before he entered the pitch during a previous friendly against Colombia.
Despite the growing rumours, there is no concrete evidence suggesting any disagreement between the two players.
It remains entirely possible that Mbappé and Kanté had already greeted one another before the cameras captured the moment, making a second interaction unnecessary.
French journalist Saber Desfarges of TF1 has also dismissed the speculation.
Reacting to the claims that have spread online, he described the rumours as “Nonsense,” insisting that the footage does not prove there is any issue between the pair.
For now, the viral clip remains open to interpretation. While social media users continue to debate what happened, there is currently nothing to indicate that relations between Mbappé and Kanté are anything other than professional as France continue their preparations for the World Cup.
