France captain Kylian Mbappe has been struggling with his peripheral vision due to the protective mask he is wearing to protect his broken nose he suffered since the opening game of the Euro 2024.
In the 1-0 win against Belgium in the round of 16 on Monday, Mbappe wore his third different mask. Despite five attempts on goal, the new Real Madrid star has only one goal to his name in the Euro 2024.
“You have got the sweat aspect and we know sweat can get in his eyes. He’s getting used to it, but it can affect his vision,” France coach Didier Deschamps explained.
“Everything in front of him is fine, but there’s a delay with his peripheral vision.”
Mbappé broke his nose in an aerial collision with Austria’s Kevin Danso and has described the mask-wearing experience as “an absolute horror.”
His only goal so far came from a penalty against Poland. “I saw people but I had the feeling it was not me playing,” he said after that game.
Initially, Mbappé was fitted with a custom-made mask in the colours of the French flag. However, UEFA rules require protective equipment to be a single colour, leading him to switch to an all-black version against Poland.
He changed his mask again for the knockout game against Belgium, opting for a design that was more custom-cut to his face with better ventilation and held on by one strap instead of two. Despite the changes, Mbappé’s shooting remained off-target.
This mask issue could pose a problem for Real Madrid if Mbappé still needs it at the start of the next season, following his recent move to the Spanish giant.
Before that, Mbappé and France face a quarterfinal clash against Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal on Friday. This marks the first time World Cup winner Mbappé has advanced this far at a Euros, after France’s exit in the last 16 in 2021 to Switzerland in a penalty shootout.
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