France Captain Forced into Mask Change Ahead of Euro 2024 Round of 16

• Kylian Mbappe is said to have tinkered with his mask ahead of France’s decisive knockout fixture against Belgium on July 1
• Mbappe broke his nose in the opening game of Euro 2024 and has been forced to wear a mask since as he awaits a potential surgery
• Didier Deschamps will be hoping for an improved showing from his star-studded side after they finished second in Group D

Kylian Mbappe has reportedly been forced into a mask change as France prepare to play Belgium in the Round of 16 at Euro 2024.

The 2018 World Champions are yet to light up the tournament as initially expected. Les Bleus scrapped through Group D with one win and two draws to finish second behind surprise package Austria.

Mbappe breaks nose as France win Euro 2024 opener, Slovakia stun Belgium

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They have also only scored just once, with Mbappe converting from the penalty spot in their last group game against Poland.

Apart from their lacklustre results, head coach Didier Deschamps has also had to contend with Mbappe’s injury. The Real Madrid-bound forward broke his nose after colliding with Kevin Danso’s shoulder in their opening game.

He sat out of their barren draw against the Netherlands before returning against Poland with a mask. He is reportedly expected to undergo surgery once the tournament is over.

What change has Mbappe made to his mask?

However, SportBible reports that he has been forced to try out a different mask ahead of their clash with Belgium on July 1.

At first, Mbappe had to get a mask that conformed to UEFA’s regulations that a mask be of uniform colour. But wearing the mask has its disadvantages, as it reduces visibility for the forward.

Euro 2024: Insult and injury for Kylian Mbappe as star is shown yellow after suffering nasty knock

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It is said that he tried out a thinner mask in training which could help with his peripheral vision. It remains to be seen if he will wear the updated version or the original one when he leads his country at the Merkur Spiel-Arena in Düsseldorf.

If they beat Belgium, France could potentially play Portugal in the quarter-final. Cristiano Ronaldo’s side play Slovenia in the other Round of 16 match-up.

Belgium vs France possible line-ups, preview

Sports Brief has also done a preview for the Belgium vs France game.

The two sides famously met in the 2018 World Cup semi-final, where France beat their opponents 1-0 en route to winning the trophy.

Both sides finished second in their respective groups.