France have been handed a major boost after Kylian Mbappe played down fears over the injury that forced him off during Les Bleus’ 2-0 FIFA World Cup quarter-final victory over Morocco.
The Real Madrid forward was substituted with around 15 minutes remaining after going down unchallenged in the centre circle, briefly raising concerns over his availability for France’s World Cup semi-final.
What happened to Kylian Mbappe?
Mbappe appeared to injure his ankle midway through the second half after being caught by Morocco defender Issa Diop while bursting past him.
Although the France captain continued playing and even set up Ousmane Dembele’s goal, he eventually signalled that he could not continue before being replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta.
Seeing France’s talisman leave the field sparked immediate fears of a potentially serious injury.
Kylian Mbappe plays down injury concerns
Speaking after the match, however, Mbappe insisted the problem was only a knock and expressed confidence that he would be fit for the semi-finals.
“I’m doing well. I took a knock to the ankle, but I’m fine,” Mbappe told M6.
“JP (Mateta) was in better shape than me to play the last 15 minutes.”
France coach Didier Deschamps also acknowledged that Mbappe had taken a painful blow but indicated there were no immediate concerns over the forward’s condition.
Will Kylian Mbappe play in the World Cup semi-final?
Based on Mbappe’s own assessment, the injury is not expected to rule him out of France’s semi-final.
France have five days before their last-four clash against either Spain or Belgium, giving the 27-year-old ample time to recover from what appears to be a minor ankle knock.
That will come as welcome news for Les Bleus, with Mbappe enjoying another sensational World Cup campaign.
Kylian Mbappe chasing more World Cup history
The France captain is currently tied with Lionel Messi at the top of the Golden Boot standings with eight goals at the 2026 FIFA World Cup.
His strike against Morocco also took his remarkable World Cup tally to 20 goals in just 20 tournament appearances, further cementing his status as one of the competition’s greatest-ever performers.
France will now hope their star forward is fully fit as they bid to reach another World Cup final.