French fans let out a sigh of relief on Monday.
Kylian Mbappé is "100 per cent ready and fit" for Tuesday's semifinal clash against Spain, according to France head coach Didier Deschamps.
Mbappé suffered a "slight" ankle injury in the quarterfinals against Morocco. It took him out of the game in the 77th minute, but he assured that he was in good health following the 2-0 victory.
The 27-year-old has eight goals this World Cup, and he is tied with Lionel Messi in the race for the Golden Boot.
Mbappé has accumulated 20 goals in 20 World Cup games overall, one behind Messi for the most all-time. He scored his latest goal against Morocco.
France has made the last two World Cup finals with Mbappé on the roster; it won in 2018 but fell short in 2022 to Argentina. The French will need to overcome the 2024 Euro Cup champions in Spain to get Mbappé to his third straight finals.
"There’s only one way to relax, and that’s by winning,” Mbappé said following the quarterfinals. “Until we’ve done that, we don’t let up. We’re in the semifinals, and we’re very happy, but there’s still a long way to go. We realize that what lies ahead is even tougher than what we’ve been through, but we’re ready to face anything.”
-- with files from The Associated Press
