Mbappe Eyes Long Road to World Cup Glory After Ankle Injury
France advanced to the World Cup semi-finals with a 2-0 quarter-final victory over Morocco, as captain Kylian Mbappe tied Lionel Messi's tournament goal tally of 8 while recovering from an ankle injury he sustained late in the match.
French captain Kylian Mbappe says France's path to World Cup glory remains long despite advancing to the semi-finals, and provided an update on his ankle injury. Mbappe scored his 8th goal of the tournament, tying him with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot, as France defeated Morocco 2-0 in the quarter-final on July 9. With this victory, France advanced to the semi-finals to await the winner of the Spain vs. Belgium match. Mbappe has now scored 20 goals across all World Cup tournaments, second all-time behind Messi's 21.
After the match, Mbappe discussed France's remaining challenge for the title: "We still have a long way to go. We know what awaits us ahead is more difficult than what we've already overcome."
"But we're ready to face everything. We'll rest and recover, and watch tomorrow's match (Spain vs. Belgium) to see who we'll face next."
The 27-year-old also addressed the ankle injury that forced him off the pitch in the 77th minute, noting he was treated with ice but felt fine. "I'm okay. I took a knock to my ankle, but everything is alright now. Jean-Philippe Mateta was more than ready to play in the final 15 minutes," Mbappe said.
