PARIS: Kylian Mbappe and Antoine Griezmann were on Monday left off the preliminary list of 25 players called up by hosts France for the Olympic Games football tournament.

Both players had indicated their desire to participate in the Paris Games, but their Spanish clubs — Real Madrid where Mbappe, 25, is set to play next season and Atletico for 33-year-old Griezmann — have said they will not release them.

World Cup-winning forward and France captain Mbappe will lead France at Euro 2024 which runs from June 14 to July 14 in Germany.

“I have to give a fairly realistic list, even if I know that it is virtual,” said France Olympic football coach Thierry Henry, before adding that he was “still hoping” to be able to call upon Mbappe during the Olympic tournament.

“Everything is open for everyone, but we must give a list so that everyone can prepare. But we are not closing the door to anyone.”

A preliminary list of names

Here are the players called up by Thierry Henry to prepare for the Olympic Games #BleuCollectif pic.twitter.com/dw6wlH7Tg1

— French Team (@FrenchTeam) June 3, 2024

Paris Saint-Germain duo Warren Zaire-Emery and Bradley Barcola and Lyon forward Alexandre Lacazette were named in the preliminary list.

“It’s a pre-list for preparation, it can evolve and, in my opinion, it will evolve,” continued Henry, with the final deadline on July 3.

A source close to PSG had indicated that the French Ligue 1 champions had refused to release Zaire-Emery, 18, and 21-year-old Barcola, who have also been called up for Euro 2024 in Germany.

Former France and Arsenal forward Henry only retained two players over 23 years, despite being entitled to three, opting for 33-year-old Lacazette, whom he described as “a player of quality, a leader of men,” and Crystal Palace striker Jean-Philippe Mateta.

France will begin training on June 16 with friendly matches against Paraguay on July 4 in Bayonne, the Dominican Republic on July 11 and Japan on July 17 in Toulon.

The Olympic football competition begins on July 24 and runs to August 9, with France in a group alongside the United States, New Zealand and Guinea.

France squad:
Goalkeepers: Lucas Chevalier (Lille), Obed Nkambadio (Paris FC), Guillaume Restes (Toulouse), Robin Risser (Dijon)
Defenders: Bafode Diakite (Lille), Maxime Esteve (Burnley), Bradley Locko (Brest), Castello Lukeba (Leipzig), Kiliann Sildillia (Freiburg), Adrien Truffert (Rennes), Leny Yoro (Lille)
Midfielders: Maghnes Akliouche (Monaco), Joris Chotard (Montpellier), Desire Doue (Rennes), Manu Kone (Borussia Mönchengladbach), Enzo Millot (Stuttgart), Khephren Thuram (Nice), Lesley Ugochukwu (Chelsea), Warren Zaire-Emery (Paris Saint-Germain)
Forwards: Bradley Barcola (Paris Saint-Germain), Arnaud Kalimuendo (Rennes), Alexandra Lacazette (Lyon), Jean-Philippe Mateta (Crystal Palace), Michael Olize (Crystal Palace), Mathys Tel (Bayern Munich)

JEDDAH: The image of Cristiano Ronaldo weeping after Al-Nassr’s penalty shootout loss to Al-Hilal in Friday’s King Cup final will live long in the memory — and not just for Saudi football fans.

After a 1-1 draw in a match that saw three red cards, newly crowned Saudi Pro League champions Al-Hilal defeated Riyadh rival Al-Nassr 5-4 on penalties to claim the Kingdom’s most beloved cup competition.

Around the world, Ronaldo’s tears went viral. Never before had the King Cup been the focus of a global audience to this extent.

But long before the arrival of Ronaldo and the influx of foreign superstars over the last year, the competition had been steeped in history. The late King Saud bin Abdulaziz established the King Cup in 1957, and the national tournament quickly became a testament to the nation’s intense passion for football.

Al-Wehda, from Makkah, won the first edition of the King Cup in 1957, and the following decades would witness fierce competition between some of Saudi Arabia’s most successful clubs such as Al-Hilal, Al-Ahli and Al-Ittihad.

Al-Ittihad from Jeddah and the capital’s Al-Hilal have faced each other the most times in the final of the King Cup, creating one of the fiercest rivalries in the competition’s history. Currently, Al-Ahli hold the record with 13 titles, while Al-Hilal follow closely with 11 wins following Friday’s dramatic final against Al-Nassr.

As Saudi football began to establish itself on the international front, the King Cup quickly became a symbol of national pride and the country’s most prestigious football tournament.

The early years of the competition were marked by the development of fierce rivalries and delivered finals that captivated a rapidly increasing number of fans.

An iconic final in King Cup history occurred in 1982 between two of the country’s biggest sides, Al-Hilal and Al-Ittihad, who played before the late King Fahd bin Abdulaziz. The encounter ended in a 3-1 win for Al-Hilal, a nail-biter that for every Saudi football fan who witnessed it remains one of the most memorable finals in the tournament’s history.

The King Cup was not contested between 1990 and 2007. When it returned in 2008, it had undergone a significant restructuring by the Saudi Arabian Football Federation, which saw only the Saudi league’s top six participate. The competition returned to its original format in 2014.

Fast forward to recent years, the King Cup aura continues to captivate the nation. During the COVID-19-interrupted year of 2020, the national tournament was held amid the challenges of the global pandemic, and the final between Al-Nassr and Al-Hilal took place under strict health protocols at the King Fahd International Stadium, Riyadh. Al-Hilal emerged victorious by a scoreline of 2-1.

The King Cup was designed to unite the nation and promote athletic excellence beyond the statistics and silverware. In recent years, the competition has played a crucial role in showcasing the Saudi Vision 2030 initiative, which aims to promote cultural and sporting events as well as position the Kingdom as a growing hub for international sports.

Each year adds a new page to an ongoing story of embracing modernization while honoring tradition and attracting top-tier talent, with fervent fans from across the nation.

As the final whistle blows on each edition, the King Cup leaves behind unforgettable memories for Saudi fans, and thanks to Saudi Arabia’s cultural and sporting evolution in recent times, increasingly for a global audience as well.