Striker Kylian Mbappe shares his “horrifying” experience playing football while wearing a mask at EURO 2024.
Kylian Mbappe is among the most anticipated players at EURO 2024. He scored his first goal for France at EURO, but from the penalty spot.
After 3 matches, the Real Madrid superstar’s performances have not been convincing, and French fans have the right to feel worried before the match against Belgium. The broken nose on the opening day has had a significant impact on the quality of play of the Les Bleus captain.
Kylian Mbappe must wear a mask until the end of EURO 2024.
At a press conference before the round of 16, Mbappe shared with Bild: “Wearing a mask while playing football made me feel scared. The mask in the match against the Netherlands limited my vision. It held sweat so sometimes I had to adjust the mask to relieve the discomfort. In the first few days, I felt like I was in a virtual world when I wore it.”
In the latest training session, Kylian Mbappe used a new mask. The 25-year-old star gave feedback to the manufacturer, to limit the problems that existed in the match against the Netherlands. Mbappe’s mask is now thinner and lighter.
“I had to change the design of the mask a little bit because it had too many problems. I had no other choice at the moment. I had to tweak it about five times. Even though it was uncomfortable, only the mask helped me play,” Mbappe said.
Kylian Mbappe took off his mask several times in the match against Poland.
The Real Madrid striker also shared that the collision caused him to lose sleep for two consecutive nights. “I still remember that day. I walked into the dressing room and everyone was looking at me, it was a scary feeling. I looked in the mirror and panicked. It was such a bad idea. I didn’t sleep for two days because of the pain. I kept thinking about that collision ,” Mbappe said.
In the match against Poland, striker Lewandowski collided with Mbappe’s face. He also recounted the funny situation at the press conference: “When you have a broken nose and still want to play football, of course you will become the target of your opponent.
Lewandowski is not emotional. I would have acted extremely hurt on the pitch. But looking up at the stands, all the kids were looking at me. So I had to try to keep my image a bit.”
Robert Lewandowski accidentally “slapped” Kylian Mbappe in the face.
On the training pitch, there were times when Mbappe played without a mask. His nose injury has temporarily improved, but the France captain will still need surgery as soon as the EURO ends.
Mbappe said he wanted to delay the procedure, but not because he was afraid of the pain. The 25-year-old striker is determined to beat Belgium to advance to the quarter-finals: “They are a quality team. Belgium lost a few players but the new generation has arrived and is very hungry for the title. We have beaten them in the past but that is not important. The team that plays better tonight will qualify for the quarter-finals. No one wants to go home. The players are ready. We will prove our position as a candidate.”
