The French football team made it through to the quarter-finals of Euro 2024 after defeating Belgium 1-0.
Les Bleus relied on the ninth own-goal of the tournament to squeeze past their opponents yesterday, with Randal Kolo Muani hitting a strike in the 85th minute that deflected off Belgian defender Jan Vertonghen to land in the back of the net.
France’s captain Kylian Mbappé appeared to run over to Vertonghen and shout words in his direction after the goal, following an earlier dispute between the two players after the former Tottenham defender accused the Frenchman of diving following a tumble in the box.
France will now face Portugal, who beat Slovenia on penalties last night to make the last eight.
Striker Mbappé, 25, wore a black mask throughout the game – prompting questions from some viewers.
Why is Kylian Mbappé wearing a mask at Euro 2024?
Mbappé is set to wear the mask throughout the tournament after breaking his nose during the first group game against Austria.
The Real Madrid forward was left covered in blood after his face collided with the shoulder of Austrian defender Kevin Danso.
Mbappé left the field for treatment and was taken to hospital for medical attention. Tests revealed he did not require immediate surgery, prompting him to return to training two days later, alleviating French concerns he would be forced to drop out of the tournament.
Following the incident, Mbappé posted a message to Instagram stating that “without risks, there are no victories”, which fans took to mean that he would return, broken nose and all.
The star was seen wearing a blue, white and red mask – the colours of the French tricolore – during training. Uefa rules state that any “medical equipment worn on the playing field must be of a single colour” and “must not allow the team or manufacturer to be identified”, which is why he has been seen wearing a black mask during games.
Mbappé joked about the injury on social media, asking followers for “any ideas for masks?”.
Why does Mbappé need to wear a mask?
Protective masks are used frequently in rugby and football following an injury. They are intended to cover and protect a laceration or unstable part of the face and guard against further injury.
Larger masks can also be used for compression purposes.
According to The Football Physio: “Protective face masks offer several advantages for football players recovering from nasal or facial injuries.
- Protection: Face masks provide a protective barrier against external impact and contact, reducing the risk of reinjury to the healing nasal bones or facial structures.
- Facilitates healing: By minimising the risk of further trauma, face masks support the natural healing process, allowing injured tissues to repair and regenerate without interference.
- Confidence boost: Wearing a protective face mask can enhance a player’s confidence and sense of security, enabling them to focus on their performance without fear of exacerbating their injury.
- Early return to play: With the added protection, players may be able to return to training and competition sooner, accelerating their rehabilitation timeline.”
What has Mbappé and said about the face mask?
Speaking to reporters ahead of France’s match against Belgium, the France captain admitted that wearing the mask was “horrible”.
He added: “When I took the blow to the face, I didn’t really know what was going on. I didn’t feel that my nose was broken. It was actually when I looked at the goalkeeper and I saw his face that I thought, ‘Oh, something is wrong here.’
“However, when I got back to the dressing room and knew everything that happened around me, I thought I was going home. I looked at myself in the mirror and I thought that it was a bad idea to send me home.
“But I’m happy to be here,” he continued. “It was difficult because there was a lot of information, a lot of appointments… I didn’t really sleep that much – I spent two nights without sleeping – I was trying to go through all the motions, but I wasn’t able to play against the Netherlands and that was really difficult to sit on the bench … I felt quite helpless.”
Mbappé added that if he needed to head the ball to score a goal, he would do it. “My nose is already broken, what more can happen?” he joked.
He was then asked why he had changed his mask several times since his injury. “It’s horrible playing with a mask,” he replied.
“I keep changing masks because every time there is something that bothers me, there’s something that’s not quite right. It’s quite difficult playing with a mask because it limits your field of vision, your sweat clogs up and you need to let the sweat out.
“The first few days I felt like I was wearing 3D glasses and it wasn’t me who was playing. If I get to take the mask off I will, but now I don’t have a choice. I hate it. It’s really annoying. I’ve had to change it five times.”
France manager Didier Deschamps said: “He is getting used to it. Sweating can still bother him. It can get in the eyes. But it’s complicated for his vision, it’s 10ths of a second, but it’s important.
“He’s going to have to get used to it because he might wear it for a few weeks or even a few months.”
Speaking ahead of their clash against Poland, teammate Jonathan Clauss added that Mbappé was “getting used to his mask” and seemed to be doing “great”.
Following Mbappé’s first goal of the tournament against Poland, his teammates took a much more gentle approach to celebrations.
Rather than the usual pile-on, N’Golo Kanté, Ousmane Dembélé, Bradley Barcola and Jules Koundé gathered round the star and gently patted him on the head to congratulate him, a gesture that did not go unnoticed by viewers.
“When Mbappé scores and his teammates are delicate with their celebrations with him so they don’t hurt his nose,” wrote one user on social media.
When Mbappe scores and his teammates are delicate with their celebrations with him so they don’t hurt his nose
— chelsea leite (@chelsealeite) June 25, 2024
Another wrote: “That must be one of the all-time most considerate/restrained team goal celebrations following Mbappé’s penalty. No one touched the nose.”
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