striker Kylian Mbappe broke his nose and had to undergo surgery, after France beat Austria 1-0 in the opening match of Group D of Euro 2024.

In the 85th minute, Mbappe tried to head the ball but hit his face on the shoulder of defender Kevin Danso. The collision left the French captain lying on the ground and bleeding profusely from his face. The TV camera angle also showed that Mbappe’s nose was crooked.

The medical team entered the field to take care of him and take Mbappe to the sideline. The 25-year-old striker then suddenly ran onto the field, tried to continue playing but sat down on the field. Due to entering the field without the permission of referee Jesus Gil Manzano, Mbappe received a yellow card, before giving way to senior Olivier Giroud.

Kylian Mbappe had a nosebleed during France’s 1-0 win over Austria at Euro 2024. Photo: Reuters .

In the post-match conference, coach Didier Deschamps said Mbappe likely suffered a broken nose and considered it a major problem for the French team. Later, the French medical team confirmed to local TV station TF1 that Mbappe had to undergo surgery at the University of Dusseldorf.

The French Football Federation (FFF) is expected to have official information about Mbappe’s condition in the next one to two days. It is unclear how long Mbappe will be out of action, but he will almost certainly have to wear a protective mask when he returns.

Euro has not been a lucky tournament for Mbappe. In 2020, he failed to score, even missing the decisive penalty, causing France to be eliminated by Switzerland in the round of 16. Real’s new signing continued to be unlucky this time, when he suffered a serious injury in the opening match, in addition to missing the opportunity to face off in the second half. Mbappe’s biggest mark was a cross from the right wing that Maximilian Wober fumbled and headed into his own net in the 38th minute, helping France win by a narrow margin.

“I am satisfied with today’s performance, even though France missed the opportunity to increase the gap,” Deschamps said. “The performance wasn’t perfect, but it was solid. We could have been more effective in attack, but it’s good to start with a win. The team now has quality and talent but the solidity and solidarity are also very good.” important. We won’t be too confident but this is a positive start.”