FRance captain Kylian Mbappé led his team to victory in their EURO 2024 round of 16 match against Belgium on Monday, with a deflected shot ensuring his team’s progress.
The 25-year-old football star played with a face mask – a recent and much-discussed addition to his uniform.
Mbappé is wearing the mask after breaking his nose in a collision in France’s opening game – a 1-0 win over Austria on June 17. In the game against Austria, Mbappé was invaluable, forcing the only goal with a cross that deflected off Maximilian Wöber’s head.
Even so, he collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso and, after being attended to by medical staff, was escorted off the field. He was taken to a hospital in Dusseldorf and the French Football Federation (FFF) confirmed the extent of the injury.
“The first responses have been quite positive, as there is no surgery planned at this time,” said FFF President Diallo at a press conference on June 18.
Mbappé has dealt with the situation with humor on social media. Shortly after the injury, he joked on X (formerly Twitter), asking fans, “Any ideas for masks?” Two days later, he posted a photo of himself in the game against Belgium on his Instagram, accompanied by the caption “Without risks, there are no victories”, leading most to anticipate his return to the competition.
Although the Real Madrid star did not require surgery, he missed France’s game against the Netherlands on June 21, which ended in a draw. He then returned to help his team against Poland in the final group game, scoring a goal – his first in a European Championship. Even so, a shot from Robert Lewandowski tied the game.
Mbappé has been open about how difficult the mask has been for him, although the hope is that his goal represents progress. He noticed how it limits his vision and forces sweat to accumulate on his face. Still, he recognizes his need after the injury.
“I didn’t think it would be, but playing with a mask is an absolute horror,” said Mbappé in a press conference in Dusseldorf on June 30, before the team’s victory in Belgium. “For the first few days, I felt like I was wearing 3D glasses.”
Viewers on social media noticed Mbappé’s mask, creating drawings of him as a Ninja Turtle, a reference to your welcome gift from Paris Saint-Germain teammate Thaigo Silva when he joined the team in 2017. Others noted the mask’s similarity to Batman’s and compared the football star himself to the superhero.
Fans in the stands decided to wear their own masks in solidarity, both black like Mbappé’s, and some sillier options.
He shared with the media that it was incredibly difficult to be an unused substitute in the game against the Netherlands; the 2022 World Cup Golden Boot winner is used to stepping up and kicking goals. But he was grateful to return to the field, knowing that his broken nose, yet to be operated on, could make him a target for rough games.
France will face Portugal and the country’s top football star, Cristiano Ronaldo, on Friday, July 5. The match will mark Mbappé’s first quarter-final in a EURO championship.
This story originally appeared on Time.com read the full story
