France go into today’s Euro 2024 semifinal showdown against Spain hoping Kylian Mbappe can finally produce a performance worthy of his superstar status at a tournament in which he has struggled to find form and fitness.
The match in Munich is a mouthwatering prospect and a huge occasion in particular for Mbappe, in his first major tournament captaining his country and just before he starts a new chapter in his career at Real Madrid.
At 25, and having just completed his dream move to the Champions League winners, Mbappe should be in the prime of his footballing life.
But the man who won the World Cup as a teenager and scored an incredible hat-trick in the 2022 final in Qatar, has not been able to play anywhere near his best at the European Championship.
Mbappe joined up with the France squad after a difficult final campaign at Paris Saint-Germain which was marred by a slightly messy divorce from the club as his playing time was reduced.
Already floundering to some extent physically, lacking his usual explosive edge, a broken nose in Les Bleus’ opening game at the tournament against Austria has further diminished him.
He has scored just once, from a penalty, at the Euros and it may be no exaggeration to say his performance in Friday’s quarterfinal against Portugal in Hamburg was the worst of his career in such a big game.
Mbappe ended up being substituted halfway through extra time – he later admitted he was simply exhausted – and so watched from the sidelines as his teammates won on penalties.
“He might not have been here at all, so we need to look at it in a positive light,” coach Didier Deschamps told broadcaster TF1 on Sunday.
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