Kylian Mbappé put any injury concerns to rest Thursday, confirming he is fine after appearing to tweak his ankle late in France's 2-0 World Cup quarterfinal win over Morocco.
The moment came in the 77th minute, when Mbappé went down holding his leg and asked to be substituted, replaced by Jean-Philippe Mateta. Cameras later caught him on the bench with ice wrapped around his right foot, sparking a wave of search interest and concern among fans just days before France's semifinal matchup. Mbappé addressed it directly after the match. "I'm all good. I got a knock on the ankle, but it's all good," he said, adding that Mateta was "more able than me to play the last 15 minutes."
Head coach Didier Deschamps confirmed Mbappé "had a bit of pain in his ankle" but gave no indication of concern heading into the semifinal. A source close to the France squad told ESPN there are "no concerns to have on Kylian's ankle."
The scare came in a match where Mbappé had already tied Lionel Messi atop the Golden Boot standings with his eighth goal of the tournament, an outcome JubileeCast covered Thursday. He also picked up his third assist of the tournament, becoming the first player since 1966 to record 10-plus goal involvements across two separate World Cups.
Mbappé was seen celebrating with teammates and fans on the pitch shortly after the final whistle, smiling and showing no signs of discomfort. France will face the winner of Friday's quarterfinal between Belgium and Spain in the semifinals Tuesday in Arlington, Texas, with Mbappé expected to be available. For a player who has publicly credited his career to his faith more than once this tournament, Thursday's scare - and the relief that followed - was one more reminder of how quickly a moment of worry can turn into gratitude.
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