Mbappé cleared for semifinal start
Kylian Mbappé is set to feature in France’s starting lineup for the World Cup semifinal match against Spain on Tuesday. This confirmation follows concerns about a minor ankle injury that saw the striker leave the quarterfinal victory over Morocco in the 77th minute.
Didier Deschamps, the coach for France, addressed the injury concerns, stating that Mbappé was physically well. Reports had described the injury as a “slight” issue affecting his right ankle. Despite earlier suggestions from RMC Sport that Mbappé was still experiencing discomfort and had trained separately from most teammates during a Monday session, Deschamps affirmed that the player “feels good.” He also downplayed the significance of the portion of practice observed by reporters, noting that Mbappé, like others, has the option to participate in drills for a shorter duration, such as 15 minutes instead of 20 minutes.
Mbappé, who has been serving as France’s captain since March 2023, has been a central figure for his team throughout the tournament. He is one of six players who have started all seven World Cup matches for France, a group that also includes fellow forward Ousmane Dembele and goalkeeper Mike Maignan.
Golden Boot race heats up
The upcoming semifinal also highlights a significant individual contest, as Kylian Mbappé is currently tied with Argentina superstar Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. Both players have scored eight goals in this year’s World Cup. Mbappé also has three assists, which could be a decisive factor in the goal-scoring competition, as assists serve as the tiebreaker.
Messi, who is 39 years old, has recorded two assists in the current tournament. He holds the World Cup record for career goals with 21, one more than the 27-year-old Mbappé’s 20 career goals. Mbappé previously won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup. Both players have surpassed Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who held the previous record for all-time leading goal scorer in men’s World Cup history with 16 goals, and Brazil’s Marta, who remains at the top of the women’s World Cup goal-scoring leaderboard with 17 goals.
The potential for another showdown between Mbappé’s France and Messi’s Argentina in the final could determine both the tournament winner and the recipient of the Golden Boot.
Spain’s lineup and player status
For Spain, Lamine Yamal is scheduled to start his sixth consecutive game, a day after his 19th birthday. The Barcelona forward had come off the bench in Spain’s opening match against Cape Verde, which ended in a 0-0 draw.
Meanwhile, Spain forward Nico Williams will not be in the starting lineup. He has been dealing with a muscle injury since the group stage finale against Uruguay. Williams had previously come off the bench in all three group matches but missed the first two knockout games before entering in the 79th minute against Belgium.
Mikel Merino, a versatile player from Arsenal, will once again come off the bench for Spain, marking the sixth time in seven games. Merino has proven to be an impact substitute, scoring winning goals shortly after being introduced late in matches. He secured a 1-0 victory over Portugal in the round of 16 and contributed to a 2-1 quarterfinal win against Belgium.
The semifinal match between France and Spain is scheduled for Tuesday.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
