As France captain and the most famous athlete in the country hosting the 2024 Olympics, Mbappe's presence in Thierry Henry's squad would have been a boost for organisers as well as for the team's chances of winning gold.
But the 25-year-old forward had to accept that his new club Real Madrid would not allow him to participate immediately after his Euro 2024 exertions in Germany, where Les Bleus reached the semi-finals.
That is the problem for the men's football competition, which runs from July 24 to Aug 9.
Clubs are not obliged to release players for a tournament held outside an official Fifa window for international football, following straight on from the European Championship and Copa America.
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