Mbappé cleared for World Cup semifinal
Kylian Mbappé is set to feature in France’s starting lineup for their World Cup semifinal match against Spain on Tuesday. This confirmation comes despite concerns about a “slight” ankle injury that led to his early exit from the quarterfinal victory over Morocco. France coach Didier Deschamps has stated that Mbappé is physically fit for the upcoming game.
Mbappé, who serves as France’s captain, was substituted in the 77th minute of the quarterfinal match. Reports indicated that he was experiencing discomfort in his right ankle, and he reportedly trained separately from most of his teammates during a portion of a training session that was open to the media on Monday. However, Deschamps downplayed these observations, noting that Mbappé “feels good” and that his participation in a shorter training drill was not unusual.
The Real Madrid forward has been a key player for France, starting all seven of their World Cup matches, a distinction he shares with teammate Ousmane Dembele and goalkeeper Mike Maignan. His presence is crucial as France aims to advance further in the tournament.
Golden Boot race intensifies
Mbappé enters the semifinal match with eight goals in the current World Cup, placing him alongside Argentina superstar Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot. The tiebreaker in this competition is assists, and Mbappé currently holds an advantage over Messi in this regard, having recorded three assists compared to Messi’s two helpers.
This year’s tournament has seen both Mbappé and Messi surpass previous goal-scoring records. They have each exceeded Germany’s Miroslav Klose, who held the record for most goals 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. Messi holds the overall World Cup record with 21 career goals, one more than Mbappé’s 20 career goals.
Mbappé previously won the Golden Boot in the 2022 World Cup, where France ultimately lost to Argentina in the final. Messi, on the other hand, has not yet won the Golden Boot in a World Cup. The ongoing competition between these two players could influence the outcome of both the Golden Boot and the World Cup itself.
Spain’s lineup adjustments
For Spain, Lamine Yamal is scheduled to start his sixth consecutive game, following his 19th birthday the day prior. The Barcelona forward made his first appearance in the tournament as a substitute during Spain’s opening match, a 0-0 draw against Cape Verde, a team that emerged as one of the tournament’s notable surprises.
Meanwhile, Spain will be without Nico Williams in their starting lineup. Williams has been managing a muscle injury since the group stage finale against Uruguay. He participated as a substitute in all three group matches but missed the first two knockout games. He later entered the quarterfinal match against Belgium in the 79th minute.
Mikel Merino, a versatile player from Arsenal, is expected to come off the bench for Spain for the sixth time in seven games. Merino has proven to be an impactful substitute, scoring winning goals shortly after his introduction in both the round of 16 match against Portugal, which Spain won 1-0, and the 2-1 quarterfinal victory over Belgium.
The semifinal match between France and Spain is scheduled for Tuesday.
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Source: sportsnet.ca
