By Toby TAIWO
Kylian Mbappé says he’s all good and ready to resume training ahead of the semi-final clash at the World Cup.
Mbappe received a “knock on his ankle” during France’s 2-0 World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco on Thursday in Foxborough, Massachusetts.
Mbappé received treatment on the pitch at Boston Stadium (Gillette Stadium) from the France physio before being substituted in the 77th minute and replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
The 27-year-old walked off while applauding the crowd and did not appear to be in extreme pain. Television footage subsequently showed Mbappé sitting on the bench with ice strapped to his right foot.
“I’m all good. I got a knock on the ankle, but it’s all good. JP [Mateta] was more able than I to play the last 15 minutes,” Mbappé said after the game.
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“There are no concerns about Kylian’s ankle,” a source told ESPN.
Mbappé was leading the celebrations with the fans on the pitch after the victory and also inside the team’s changing room, with a smile on his face.
France’s 2-0 win over Morocco comes four years after they won by the same scoreline in their semifinal meeting in Qatar. Mbappé explained the French mindset going into the game against a team they knew well.
Mbappé is close friends with Morocco captain and his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Achraf Hakimi.
Six Moroccan players were born in France and many players of both teams enjoy a close relationship.
“Here, there is no sentiment. There are no emotions. I’m here to win and he [Hakimi] was here to win too,” Mbappé said. “But it’s true that when I go to see him in the dressing room, it will hit me, because he is a very close friend.”
Having missed a first-half penalty, the France captain tied Lionel Messi at the top of the scoring chart with his eighth goal of the tournament as he fired a shot past Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou from the edge of the area.
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His assist for Ousmane Dembélé’s goal six minutes later was his third of the tournament.
Mbappé has now registered 10-plus goal involvements in both of the two most recent World Cups (eight goals, two assists in 2022; eight goals, three assists in 2026). He’s the only player since 1966 to achieve this in two tournaments.
