Kylian Mbappe Reveals He Played Last Two WC Games With Injury
French striker Kylian Mbappe reportedly played with a back injury during France's semi-final clash against Belgium and their final match against Croatia in the World Cup.
France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates with the trophy after winning the World Cup. (REUTERS)
French striker Kylian Mbappe reportedly played with a back injury during France's semi-final clash against Belgium and their final match against Croatia in the World Cup.
The PSG forward had suffered the injury before France's semi-final clash against Belgium. Mbappe was still in pain prior to the final against Croatia, but it was kept within the confines French locker room to ensure he that was not targeted by the Croatians.
Speaking to French Football, Mbappe said, “The bottom line was really not to alert our opponents because they could have taken advantage of that to attack me in this sensitive area. That's why with the staff and the players we have hidden everything. Even for the final.”
Mbappe also spoke about how he was confident of going on and winning the World Cup with France even before the tournament started, saying, “From the beginning I was convinced that we had everything to go to the end. I said it even before the start of the tournament and some people took it for arrogance when it was just confidence. I had programmed myself to win.”
The teenage sensation played a significant role in his team's victorious World Cup campaign, scoring four goals in the tournament. His long-range strike in the final put France 4-1 in the 65th minute, and the Croatian team could not recover from the situation despite scoring four minutes later to make it 4-2. The match ended with that scoreline, and Mbappe was named the best young player of the tournament.
The PSG forward had suffered the injury before France's semi-final clash against Belgium. Mbappe was still in pain prior to the final against Croatia, but it was kept within the confines French locker room to ensure he that was not targeted by the Croatians.
Speaking to French Football, Mbappe said, “The bottom line was really not to alert our opponents because they could have taken advantage of that to attack me in this sensitive area. That's why with the staff and the players we have hidden everything. Even for the final.”
Mbappe also spoke about how he was confident of going on and winning the World Cup with France even before the tournament started, saying, “From the beginning I was convinced that we had everything to go to the end. I said it even before the start of the tournament and some people took it for arrogance when it was just confidence. I had programmed myself to win.”
The teenage sensation played a significant role in his team's victorious World Cup campaign, scoring four goals in the tournament. His long-range strike in the final put France 4-1 in the 65th minute, and the Croatian team could not recover from the situation despite scoring four minutes later to make it 4-2. The match ended with that scoreline, and Mbappe was named the best young player of the tournament.