Mbappé’s injury is a big deal for France, as the country’s best player and the biggest star of the tournament. It’s a concern for Real Madrid, too, after he left Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent to sign for the Spanish club in the offseason.
Mbappé is widely regarded as the current best player in the world and led his country to the World Cup title in 2018 at the age of 19.
He became only the second player in history to score a hat trick in a World Cup final four years later in Qatar as France was runner-up to Messi’s Argentina.
France’s priority will be to get him back on the field and leading its bid to win a record-equalling third Euros. Madrid, which has already blocked him from playing at the Paris Olympics for France, will want him in peak condition for the start of the season.
If he is to play on at the Euros, he will need to wear the type of protective face mask worn by Son Heung-min and Josko Gvardiol at the World Cup in 2022. But the speed of his return will depend on the level of discomfort he feels.
A broken nose can take weeks to heal and the National Health Service in the U.K. says sport should be avoided for “at least six weeks if there’s a chance your face might be hit.”
Mbappe, who has returned to the team’s training camp with the rest of the squad, appeared to see the lighter side of his injury.n “Any ideas for masks?” he posted on X.
