MUNICH — Even without the mask, Kylian Mbappé was surpassed by a 16-year-old prodigy.
Mbappé abandoned the vision restrictive mask which he had worn since breaking his nose in France’s opening match, but Les Bleus fell to a 2-1 defeat to Spain in the semi-finals on Tuesday, when Lamine Yamal became the youngest scorer in the history of the European Championship.
Yamal heads to the Euro 2024 final on Sunday – the day after his 17th birthday – while Mbappe will be on holiday before joining his new Real Madrid team.
“I had the goal of being European champion, I had the goal of doing a good Euro – I didn’t do one or the other,” said Mbappé.
“It’s disappointing, we have to go on vacation. I’m going to rest well, I think I need that to come back fresh and have a good pre-season preparation.”
France coach Didier Deschamps said on Monday that Mbappé would have to wear the mask for “weeks… maybe months”, so there was surprise when he took to the pitch in Munich without the mask that bothered him so much.
“I was fed up, I couldn’t see well,” said Mbappé. “I spoke to the doctor to see and he told me to make the decision like a man and I don’t regret it.”
Euro 2024 had hardly gone to plan for Mbappé and France before Tuesday’s match – no French player had scored in open play, with their three goals coming from a solitary Mbappé penalty and two own goals.
Mbappé made a total of 23 goal attempts in Germany. Only Deco, with 24 goals at Euro 2004, had more non-penalty shots without scoring.
Mbappé, 25, described the experience of wearing the mask as “an absolute horror” and removing it appeared to have an immediate effect, as he set up France’s ninth-minute opener with a pinpoint cross to the far post for Randal Kolo Muani. header goal.
The French star should have scored and sent the match into extra time when he was released on the left by Bradley Barcola four minutes from time.
Mbappé looked certain to score – and in front of the French fans – when he raced into the box and past Spanish defender Dani Vivian, but shot awkwardly over the bar.
“I think I had to score, or at least hit the target,” he said. “It’s over and that’s the harsh reality of football.”
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