‘An absolute horror’ – Kylian Mbappé opens up on playing with a mask

Kylian Mbappé (25) broke his nose in France’s Euro 2024 opener, against Austria. Whilst Les Bleus’ captain didn’t require surgery, at least not immediately, he has been forced to wear a mask for the remainder of the tournament. He has now opened up on the experience of wearing the mask.

In the space of just over a week, Mbappé has fashioned four different masks. The first, the colours of the France flag, was worn in training ahead of the match against the Netherlands – a match in which he did not feature as he continued to recover from the clash with Kevin Danso.

He has since worn three different masks, all of which have complied with UEFA regulations, unlike his first France-themed mask. However, wearing a mask has not been to his liking. “Playing with a mask, it’s an absolute horror,” began Mbappé in a press conference ahead of Les Bleus’ Round of 16 encounter against Belgium.

He added, “I changed it because each time, there was something wrong [with the mask]. It limits my vision. The sweat gets blocked. It felt like I was in 3D and that I was a VIP guest at the Euros.”

The Real Madrid forward also believes that wearing the mask makes him a target in the eyes of the opposition. “When you break your nose and you don’t have an operation, you become a target. I knew what I was getting into. I can receive hits; I am ready to give everything for this shirt,” said Mbappé.

GFFN | Luke Entwistle