Kylian Mbappe insists he is “completely fine” after suffering a minor ankle injury during France’s 2-0 World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco at Gillette Stadium on 9 July, with the forward’s fitness now the central talking point ahead of a semi-final against Spain or Belgium in Dallas on 14 July.
Mbappe was substituted in the 77th minute after raising his arm to the bench and lying down on the pitch during open play, stretching out his right leg as a medical professional attended to him. He waved to the crowd as he walked off and exchanged high-fives with teammates on the bench, before television footage showed him sitting with ice strapped to his right foot as the game continued. After the final whistle, however, he walked back onto the pitch smiling, embracing teammates and jumping in celebration with the French supporters, a sight that will have reassured coach Didier Deschamps considerably.
“I have a minor ankle injury, but I’m completely fine,” Mbappe said after the match. “Jean-Philippe Mateta was in a better position to play the remaining minutes of the match and was fitter at that moment. That’s all that happened.” Deschamps echoed that assessment, saying: “He has a slight pain in his ankle, but nothing serious.”
Before his substitution, Mbappe had already left his mark on the tie. He won a penalty in the first half when brought down by Morocco’s Noussair Mazraoui, only for goalkeeper Yassine Bounou to save his spot kick in a rare miss from the 27-year-old. He made amends in the second half with a sumptuous finish to open the scoring, with Ousmane Dembele adding a second to put the result beyond doubt. The goal took Mbappe level with Lionel Messi on eight goals in the race for the World Cup Golden Boot, setting up a compelling final stretch to the tournament’s top scorer award.
Mbappe has completed 90 minutes for France against Senegal in the group stage and Paraguay in the round of 16, with Deschamps managing his star player carefully across other fixtures, affording him precautionary rests against Iraq, Norway and Sweden. France will hope he is fully available for the semi-final, where they face the winner of Spain against Portugal.
Adding further intrigue to his performance against Morocco, Mbappe made a revealing observation about this France side after the match. “This France team is not the strongest one I have played with, but it is the one with the most potential,” he said. “I have always said that the best teams are the ones that win.”
The comment offers a fascinating insight into both his confidence in the group and his perspective on what makes a winning team. This France squad may lack the established star power of the 2018 World Cup winners or the 2022 finalists, but they have looked organised, disciplined and ruthless throughout the tournament, with players embracing defined roles and defending as a collective unit. Mbappe’s leadership has been central to that, providing the game-changing moments that have separated France from the field.
