France superstar Kylian Mbappe has had a new element to his match equipment at the Euro 2024.
After breaking his nose during group stages, Mbappe — who received quite a few hilarious mask suggestions from fans — initially debuted a superhero-esque mask based on the French flag that earned him the nickname “Captain France” by some.
Mbappe has had pretty decent luck since the injury, avoiding any major aggravations. But that potentially changed during Friday’s quarterfinal match against Portugal, in which Mbappe took a header to the face at point-blank range.
While the ball didn’t hit his nose directly, it did cause the mask to hit into his nose, as the announcers noted.
Mbappé just took a heavy hit to the mask 😬 pic.twitter.com/asSYWuB3eY
— FOX Soccer (@FOXSoccer) July 5, 2024
Mbappe was visibly shaken and in pain as he lay on the ground after the hit, but he was able to brush it off and remain in the game.
While his streak of avoiding hits to the face ended on Friday, it seems he avoided causing further damage. Still, it will be something to watch if France can advance to the Euro semifinal for the first time since 2016, when it ultimately finished as the runner-up. Les Bleus are looking to win their first Euro since 2000.
