Mbappe not bothered by form as long as France wins
Kylian Mbappe is not bothered by his indifferent form at UEFA Euro 2024 so far, saying the most important thing is for France to keep winning after it booked a place in the semi-finals.
France and Portugal played out a 0-0 draw in 120 minutes in Hamburg, with Les Bleus staying perfect from the spot in the shootout and progressing thanks to Joao Felix’s missed penalty for Portugal.
Mbappe is the only Frenchman to score at the tournament so far, netting from the spot, with France’s two wins coming via own goals. However, he does not care how the wins come as long as his side keeps progressing.
"These are the peculiarities of being a footballer," Mbappe said.
"But even then, you have to keep up your involvement and always be there for your team-mates.
"I've always said that no matter what happens, the most important thing is that we win. I've only scored one goal, but we are in the semi-finals, and I'm very happy."
Mbappe had been hit in the side of the head by the ball in the second half and struggled to get back into the game after it as he shied away from any more aerial challenges.
That meant the France captain was not one of the five players to step up in the shootout, having been substituted in the extra-time break because of ongoing problems with his broken nose.
"We had already discussed with the coach at the end of regulation time," Mbappe added.
"We decided I would try longer, but at half-time in extra time, I told him that I wasn't feeling it anymore, that I was too tired. He told me 'OK'."
France faces Spain in the first of the UEFA Euro 2024 semi-finals on Wednesday (AEST) in Munich.