Kylian Mbappe took a bloody blow to the nose in France’s Euro 2024 opener against Austria, leaving the pitch looking like a scene from a horror flick.
The French skipper tried to nod one home but ended up smashing his face into Kevin Danso’s shoulder instead. The 25 year old hit the deck with blood gushing from his nose, turning his pristine white kit a gruesome shade of red.
As medics rushed to help, Mbappe, clearly in a world of pain, was sidelined before making a controversial return to the field without the ref’s say-so, earning himself a yellow card for time-wasting.
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The French Federation has confirmed Kylian Mbappé has broken his nose and he will undergo surgery in Düsseldorf.
The less sympathetic of Euros fans have taken to Twitter deliberating the mask options Mbappe could don in his next match.
(Image: AFP via Getty Images)
Subbed off for Olivier Giroud, Mbappe watched from the bench as Les Bleus clung on for a narrow 1-0 victory. ITV’s Sam Matterface didn’t mince words: “He’s suffered what seems to be a broken nose.”
BBC Radio 5 Live’s Matt Upson was baffled by Mbappe’s pitch invasion: “Kylian Mbappe has gone back on the pitch without permission – the referee is going to book him and rightly so,” adding, “You cannot do that! Was he advised to go back on? He just walked back on holding his nose and sat down on the pitch. It looks like he has badly damaged his nose.”, reports the Mirror.
Roy Keane, never one to hold back, blasted Mbappe’s antics on ITV: “He gets an injury, it’s frustrating. Obviously, he’s gone back onto the pitch to stop the play. But he’s gone on to sit on the pitch, I don’t like to see this, this is out of order if he’s been instructed by the manager to go back on.”
Post-match, France’s manager Didier Deschamps expressed his concern: “Apparently the nose is not good at all. So we’ll see. It’s obviously the negative point of the evening. Even if it’s just his nose it’s annoying for us.”
(Image: Ralf Ibing/Getty Images)
Despite ending in discomfort, Mbappe played a crucial role in crafting France’s only goal of the evening. The forward, who is slated to make a switch from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid this summer, delivered the pivotal cross that saw Max Wober unwittingly send the ball into his own net during the initial half.
The 25 year old was named the French skipper by gaffer Didier Deschamps ahead of the tournament, impressively leading the team in Dusseldorf to a narrow victory as they kicked off their campaign.