Kylian Mbappe made headlines for two reasons in France‘s 2026 World Cup quarterfinal against Morocco: his goal that helped send Les Bleus through, and his early exit after suffering discomfort in the second half. With a semifinal berth secured, both Mbappe and head coach Didier Deschamps shed light on the decision to bring him off.
After missing a first-half penalty and joining Karim Benzema in an unwanted chapter of France World Cup history, Mbappe responded in the best way possible. He broke the deadlock in the 60th minute before turning provider six minutes later, assisting Ousmane Dembele’s goal to make it 2-0.
The relief was short-lived, however, as Mbappe went down on the pitch in the 76th minute, visibly signaling to the bench to be replaced. He walked off under his own power in the 77th minute, making way for Jean-Philippe Mateta, but the sight of France’s talisman leaving the field raised immediate concern heading into the final stages of the tournament.
Speaking to beIN Sports and M6 after the game, Mbappe played down any serious concern while explaining the substitution: “I’m okay, I took a blow to the ankle but I’m fine. At that moment, JP (Jean-Philipe Mateta) was better suited than I was to play the final 15 minutes, so I came off and he came on. It’s good, plus he almost scored.“
Kylian Mbappe #10 of France is attended to by teammates.
Deschamps echoed that assessment and also addressed the condition of Manu Kone. “With Kylian, it was a bit of his ankle, he was feeling a bit of pain. Manu took a blow to the knee—it’s normal, the matches are coming thick and fast. It’s good for Warren, though I can’t please everyone,” the France boss told beIN Sports and M6.
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