France forward Kylian Mbappe has said that he had to hide his back injury from Belgium in the World semifinal and again against Croatia in the final.
While talking to France Football, the 19-year-old hurt three vertebrae in his back when picking his things up to go for a shower and told France Football that it was of great importance that the French squad hid the problem from their opponents to avoid further injury.
Despite his injury that went unnoticed he scored four goals and was voted young player of the competition in the just concluded Russia 2018 World Cup.
hurt three vertebrae in his back when picking his things up to go for a shower and told France Football that it was of great importance that the French squad hid the problem from their opponents to avoid further injury.
In his statement Mbappe added saying, “The most important thing was making sure that our opponents did not find out, They could have taken advantage of that and targeted this sensitive area. The players and the staff kept it hidden even for the final.”
However, he was accused of “arrogance”, this was due to the fact that he had shown confidence that France would win the 2018 World Cup way before the tournament had started. he added saying that it was simply his confidence that he and his teammates would be successful and nothing else.
He further added saying, “Being honest, it was in my mind for some time, For me, from the beginning, I was convinced that we had everything that we needed to go all the way.
“I said it before the World Cup started and some saw it as arrogance — it was simply my conviction. I came for the trophy and I left with it — I was programmed to win.”
Meanwhile, Mbappe said he hopes to be in contention for the Ballon d’Or alongside Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Raphael Varane and PSG teammate Neymar.
“I would put Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric, Raphael Varane… and me,” he said.
He overlooked his compatriot Antoine Griezmann but added that he would “complete” the list with Lionel Messi as “for the football fans, it’s hard to exclude him from the list” even though the Barcelona forward failed to shine in the World Cup.
Mbappé has been described by Arsène Wenger as a “huge football talent” who “has similarities to Thierry Henry”. His talent and precocious performances for France at the 2018 World Cup also led him to be compared to Pelé in the media. A versatile forward, Mbappé often plays as a winger, and is capable of playing on either flank, due to his ability with either foot. He is capable of cutting into the centre onto his stronger right foot from the left wing, and is also capable of creating chances and providing assists for teammates from the right. He is also able to play in the centre as a main striker, due to his composure, clinical finishing, and eye for goal.
A highly skilful player, Mbappé is also known for his excellent dribbling ability, as well as his explosive acceleration, agility, quick feet, and creativity when in possession of the ball, as demonstrated by his use of elaborate feints, such as step overs, or sudden changes of pace or direction to beat opponents in one on one situations. In spite of his tall lean frame, he is also an athletic player, gifted with physical strength.
In addition to his technical skills, Mbappé is also highly regarded for his outstanding pace and close ball control when dribbling at speed, as well as his intelligent movement and ability to beat the defensive line by making attacking runs into space both on and off the ball; his ability to time his runs enables him to stretch opposing defences, and also make him a dangerous offensive threat on counter-attacks.
Regarding Mbappé’s ability to run at defences, former France international Nicolas Anelka stated, “He reminds me of Ronaldo of the 1996 Olympics. He has the characteristics of a world-class player and he must manage them properly. If he follows Ronaldo’s career, ‘O Phenomenon’, he will be one of the legends that has made history in the sport.”
Mbappe is currently on holiday and is not expected back with PSG until after the Trophee des Champions in Shenzhen, China, at the start of August.