France striker Kylian Mbappe has revealed that he played the World Cup semi-finals and final with a back injury, which he hid from his rivals.
In an interview with France Football magazine, the 19-year-old PSG striker said that he displaced three vertebrae in his back during the tournament in Russia three days before the France versus Belgium semi-final clash. France beat Belgium 1-0 to enter the final. They went on to win the trophy after beat Croatia 4-2 with Mbappe also scoring a goal.
“It was essential not to alert our opponents, otherwise they could have taken advantage of that and targeted this sensitive area,” said Mbappe, who scored four goals in the tournament. “That’s the reason why with the staff and the players we kept it hidden, even for the final.”
Mbappe also won the award for the best young player at the World Cup.
He became the youngest player to score two goals in a World Cup game since Pele in 1958, and also became the first teenager since Pele to score in a World Cup final.
Mbappe also revealed that he hopes he can be a contender for the Golden Ball award alongside his PSG teammate Neymar, Cristiano Ronaldo, Luka Modric and Real Madrid defender Raphael Varane.