Real Madrid Star Kylian Mbappé Released From Hospital

The Spanish soccer club announced the 26-year-old forward was hospitalized for acute gastroenteritis, which forced him to miss the FIFA Club World Cup opener.

Kylian Mbappé celebrates after scoring the opening goal during a Champions League match against VfB Stuttgart at the Santiago Bernabeu stadium in Madrid on Sept. 17, 2024. Manu Fernandez/AP Photo

Real Madrid’s star forward, Kylian Mbappé, has been discharged from the hospital after missing the team’s FIFA Club World Cup opener with a case of gastroenteritis.

In a June 19 statement, the Spanish club confirmed the 26-year-old soccer player has returned to the Real Madrid training complex and will continue with medical treatment before gradually returning to team activity.

The move comes after Madrid announced his hospitalization earlier in the day. Mbappé also missed training this week due to illness.

“Our player Kylian Mbappé is suffering from an acute case of gastroenteritis and has been admitted to hospital in order to undergo a series of tests and follow the appropriate course of treatment,” said the team.

According to the Cleveland Clinic, acute gastroenteritis, also known as the “stomach flu,” is an intestinal infection causing inflammation of the stomach and intestines. Symptoms may include nausea, vomiting, abdominal pain, and diarrhea.

The Frenchman missed Madrid’s 1-1 draw with a Saudi Arabian team, Al Hilal, at Hard Rock Stadium in Miami on June 18. In his place, Gonzalo García took over and even opened the scoring.

Following the game, head coach Xabi Alonso remained unsure if Mbappé would be ready for the team’s next match, against CF Pachuca of Mexico on June 22 in Charlotte, North Carolina.

“I don’t know if Mbappé will be back for the next game,” he said. “We’ll see. He wasn’t doing well in the last two days. He’s sick.”

Depending on his treatment response, Madrid hopes Mbappé will return for the final group game against RB Salzburg of Austria on June 26 in Philadelphia.

The Club World Cup brings together 32 teams from across all six FIFA continental confederations in a competition to determine the world’s best club team.

In his first season with Real Madrid after joining from Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappé scored 43 goals in 56 appearances.

This isn’t the first time Mbappé has faced uncertainty during a major competition.

Last year, a facial injury while playing with the France national football team at the European Championship caused him to be sidelined mid-game.

Mbappé suffered a broken nose during that Euro 2024 match against Austria, but later played in the tournament under the condition that he wear a protective face mask.