French Team: Kylian Mbappé and the Blues try their hand at American football with NFL star Bijan Robinson.

It smells good in the United States. Just a few hours before flying off to the American continent, where two friendly matches against Brazil and Colombia await them in the coming days, the Blues had the chance to experience American football. Alongside Bijan Robinson, a player for the Atlanta Falcons, Aurélien Tchouameni, Kylian Mbappé, and Didier Deschamps got to try on NFL uniforms on Monday.

After unveiling a jersey paying tribute to the host country of the 2026 World Cup with colors referencing the Statue of Liberty, the French Football Federation (FFF) continues its charm offensive across the Atlantic less than three months before the start of the World Cup.

With helmets on, Didier Deschamps even got to exchange passes with the 24-year-old running back. Under the watchful eyes of Guy Stephan, the two men, particularly close, then switched from the oval ball to the round ball, playing a tennis ball game on the fields of Clairefontaine.

Kylian Mbappé and Aurélien Tchouameni also got in on the fun by donning the perfect American football player’s gear. The two Real Madrid players took the opportunity to swap their French national team jerseys for those of the Atlanta Falcons, with Robinson’s name on the back.

Midfielder of the Blues had already revealed in an interview with L’Équipe in November that he had exchanged with an NFL player, Dak Prescott (Dallas Cowboys), about his quarterback role which he sees as “a bit like a number 6”. “He had talked to me about things that resembled what I was experiencing. A quarterback, when he throws long passes with his hands, it’s a bit like when we make long passes with our feet,” he explained.

Didier Deschamps’ men will face Brazil on Thursday at 9 p.m. (French time) at Gillette Stadium in Boston, before flying off to Washington where they will take on Colombia on Sunday at 9 p.m. at Northwest Stadium.