Kylian Mbappe is having trouble with a broken nose mask at Euro 2024, affecting his vision and performance. France prepares to face Portugal in the quarter-finals.
Kylian Mbappé has had to wear more masks than goals at the European Championship. The France captain is struggling with his peripheral vision while wearing a mask designed to protect a broken nose from France’s opening match at Euro 2024.
He wore a third different mask in the 1–0 win over Belgium in the round of 16. In that match, the striker failed to score despite five shots on goal.
Mbappé has only one goal in the tournament so far.
“There is a problem with sweat and we know that sweat can blur his vision. He is getting used to it, but it can affect his vision,” coach Didier Deschamps said. “His frontal vision is fine, but his peripheral vision is slow.”
Mbappé suffered a broken nose in a mid-air collision with Austria’s Kevin Danso and has described wearing a mask as “horrible”.
Mbappé’s only goal so far has been a penalty against Poland. “I saw everyone but it didn’t feel like I was playing football,” he said after that match.
Mbappé initially wore a custom-made mask in the colours of the French flag. However, UEFA regulations require the protective gear to be a single colour, and he switched to an all-black version against Poland. He changed his mask again in the knockout match against Belgium, with a more custom-cut version that fitted his face. It also had more vents and was held in place by just one strap instead of two.
But it seems that this change did not help much, as Mbappé’s shots often missed the target.
This could be a problem for Real Madrid if Mbappé still has to wear a mask at the start of next season, following his move to the Spanish side last month.
Before that, Mbappé and France will face Cristiano Ronaldo’s Portugal in the quarter-finals on Friday.
This is the first time World Cup winner Mbappé has gone this far at a Euros, after France were eliminated in the round of 16 in 2021 by Switzerland on penalties.
