Hate this thing: France’s Kylian Mbappe adjusting his mask during the match. — Reuters
DUESSELDORF: Kylian Mbappe is in a virtual reality game he absolutely hates.
The France captain admitted that playing with a mask to protect his broken nose was “absolutely horrible”.
He was smiling while telling the story before facing Belgium in the round of 16 but it was clear he does not enjoy playing his role as the masked man of Euro 2024.
“I had the impression in the first game that I was playing in 3D,” Mbappe told reporters, putting his hands to the sides of his head and mimicking wearing a VR headset.
“I saw people but I had the feeling it was not me that was playing,” he said of his comeback in a 1-1 draw against Poland on Tuesday.
Mbappe said sporting a mask was so uncomfortable he had already tried out several different ones.
“I have changed because every time there was something that wasn’t right,” said the new Real Madrid signing.
“It’s really difficult. It limits the vision, the sweat stays blocked so you have to keep lifting it to let the sweat flow out,” Mbappe said. “As soon as I can take it off, I will. It’s annoying, it’s annoying, it’s annoying.”
Mbappe’s nose was broken in a collision with an Austria defender’s shoulder during a 1-0 win for France in its opening game on June 17. — Agencies
