The French team will get to the heart of the matter in their Euro 2024 this Monday against Belgium. After an unconvincing group stage, the Blues are expected to turn the tide and will have to not make a mistake against the Belgians who are just as disappointing but surely seeking revenge compared to their previous meetings including the semi-final of the 2018 World Cup. But there you have it, water has flowed under the bridge since Russia and Kylian Mbappé can testify to that. A young prodigy of PSG and French football at the time, the Bondynois is, six years later, one of the best players in the world and the future star of Real Madrid, his favorite club. In addition to this great story, the now captain of the French team has new responsibilities on the pitch. And even if he is coming off a historic 2022 World Cup, the 25-year-old striker has a special history with the Euro. Disappointing during the continental tournament in 2021, Mbappé has not managed a reassuring start to the competition in recent days.
This is due in particular to a serious nose injury during the first match against Austria. On a harmless contact with Kevin Danso, the ex-Parisian saw his nose broken. Forfeited against the Netherlands, the new Madrid player did not want to have surgery and feared the worst for his competition as he confided this Sunday in a press conference: “At the time, I didn’t think much. I didn’t feel that my nose was broken. It was when I saw the head of the opposing goalkeeper that I said to myself that something was wrong. I told myself that I was going to go home. I saw myself in the mirror, I think it was a bad idea. But I’m happy to be here. It was difficult because there was a lot of information. There were a lot of meetings, I didn’t sleep much. I couldn’t play against the Netherlands. Thank God, I was able to play against Poland and I’m happy.»
The mask is an ordeal for Kylian Mbappé
From then on, Kylian Mbappé returned to the competition with a mask to protect his nose. An unprecedented situation for the former Monegasque who had fun on social networks where he had been mocked for his supposed resemblance to a character from Ninja Turtles. But there you go, cohabitation with his mask did not make the new number 9 of Real Madrid happy who confessed his difficulty in playing with this protection: “Playing with a mask is an absolute horror. I changed masks because every time, something was wrong. It’s complicated because it limits vision, sweat gets stuck. I felt like I was in 3D and that I was invited to the Euro as a VIP. I could see people but I felt like it wasn’t me playing. As soon as I can take it off, I will. It’s annoying. I have to say thank you to the masks.»
In addition to this visibly disturbing protective tool that he is therefore eager to remove, Kylian Mbappé also confessed that he felt like he had a target on his back with this annoying injury: “When you play with a broken nose and you don’t have an operation, you become a target. I don’t think Lewandowski did it on purpose. The reaction was instinctive. Many children watch the games, we will have to try to control ourselves in the future. I knew what I was getting into. This is not a new situation. I can take hits, I am ready to give everything for this jersey. If someone hits my nose to get to the quarter-finals, that’s fine with me. My nose is already broken.“That’s good: we’ll have to give it our all tomorrow against Belgium at 6 p.m. For the moment, his goal against Poland in the last group match suggests that, even with a broken nose, Kylian Mbappé still has the goal-scoring instinct.
