Victim of a broken nose against Austria on Monday, for France’s first match at Euro 2024, Kylian Mbappé is not certain of playing in the Blues’ next matches.
If he were to forfeit, Didier Deschamps would face an unprecedented headache in a major competition since 2016.
Especially as the figures show: the France team is clearly less efficient without its captain.
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Euro 2024
Playing without their captain is perhaps the Blues’ next mission. Victim of a broken nose during the first match of the France team against Austria (1-0), Monday June 17 evening, Kylian Mbappé is not sure of continuing the adventure with the Tricolores. At least, the rest of the group stage, and in particular the match against the Netherlands, this Friday (9 p.m. live commentary on TF1info).
If his package is confirmed, Didier Deschamps will face an unprecedented headache since… Euro 2016. According to Opta, since his first major competition with the France team, in 2018, Kylian Mbappé has participated in the 19 matches for the Blues during major tournaments, World Cups and European Championships combined. The last match of such a competition without him was quite simply the defeat of the Blues in the final of “their” Euro, at the Stade de France, against Portugal (0-1 after extra time).
Without him, a very lower win rate
Since that date, the future Real Madrid player has established himself in the French team, to the point of becoming an indisputable player. Thus, since his first selection, in March 2017, Kylian Mbappé has played 79 of the 93 matches on the program for Didier Deschamps’ men. His record: 47 goals, of course, but above all 68.3% victories. Without him, this success rate drops to 57.1%.
Over a more recent period, the total is even lower. The France team has only won three of its last seven matches without Kylian Mbappé (against Ivory Coast, Finland and Portugal), for two draws and two defeats. So obviously, the idea of playing without him does not rejoice. “I have always said it, with Kylian, the France team is stronger”recognized Didier Deschamps Monday evening after the match. “If the news is not good, we will fight without him. Kylian is Kylian. In any team where he is, the team is stronger.”
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For the moment, nothing indicates that the Blues will have to do without him until July 14, the day of the final. “It is premature to give a timetable” back to competition, the president of the French Football Federation, Philippe Diallo, told the press this Tuesday. “But the latest information was rather positive. An operation could have taken him away from the tournament permanently, which is not the case.” Given its importance on the ground, this is already good news.
