Kylian Mbappe is the most important player in the France squad. He's scored 48 goals in 83 appearances for his country, with 13 of those coming at major tournaments. In many people's eyes, he is now the finest player in the world.
By the age of 25, he's achieved more than most top players do in their entire careers. The best may still be yet to come, too, with Mbappe all set to complete his long-awaited move to 15-time European champions Real Madrid after Euro 2024.
But the Mbappe who inspired France to glory at the 2018 World Cup in Russia and scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina in Qatar four years later has not shown up in Germany this summer. Although France have managed to reach another semi-final, Mbappe has only found the net once, and his contribution in general play has been almost non-existent. It leaves Didier Deschamps facing a massive selection dilemma heading into Les Bleus' most daunting test of the Euros so far.
Mbappe is, when firing on all cylinders, the ultimate big game player, as further underlined by his record of 20 Champions League knockout stage goals in a Paris Saint-Germain shirt. The problem is: he's not been even close to 100 percent at this tournament. Spain certainly won't be fearing this version of Mbappe, and France may have a better chance of upsetting Luis de la Fuente's scintillating side if he's sitting among the substitutes on Tuesday.