France star Kylian Mbappe '100%' entering Spain match

Published: Tuesday, July 14, 2026 at 12:26 am

Mbappe Declared Fit for France's World Cup Semifinal Clash with Spain

France's star forward Kylian Mbappe has been declared fully fit and will be available for Tuesday's World Cup semifinal match against Spain, according to national team coach Didier Deschamps. The news comes as a significant boost for Les Bleus, who are aiming to reach their third consecutive World Cup Final.

Mbappe, who has been a pivotal player for France throughout the tournament, exited their quarterfinal victory over Morocco last Thursday with an ankle injury. However, Deschamps assured reporters on Monday that the prolific striker is at "100%" and ready to compete.

The 25-year-old has been in exceptional form, leading the Golden Boot race with eight goals in six World Cup appearances. He is currently level with Argentina's Lionel Messi in goal scoring but holds an advantage in assists, with three to Messi's two. Mbappe's 11 goal contributions mark the highest tally in a World Cup since Gerd Muller's 13 for West Germany in 1970.

In the quarterfinal against Morocco, Mbappe opened the scoring and provided the assist for the second goal. He was substituted in the 76th minute, and images of him with ice on his ankle fueled concerns about his availability. Despite appearing to have limited participation in a portion of Monday's practice session, Deschamps downplayed any lingering worries, stating that Mbappe trained and that any adjustments to his drill time were minor.

France's pursuit of a third straight World Cup Final appearance would place them in elite company, as they would become the first team to achieve this feat since Brazil between 1994 and 2002. The availability of their star attacker is a crucial factor in their quest to make history.

BNN's Perspective: The confirmation of Kylian Mbappe's fitness is undoubtedly the most critical piece of information heading into this high-stakes semifinal. His electrifying pace and clinical finishing have been instrumental to France's success, and his presence on the field significantly alters the dynamics of the match. While injuries are always a concern in a tournament of this magnitude, the coach's strong endorsement of Mbappe's condition suggests that France is fielding their strongest possible eleven. The focus now shifts to how Spain will attempt to contain a player who has proven to be almost unstoppable.

Tags: Kylian Mbappe, France, Spain, World Cup, semifinal, ankle injury, Didier Deschamps, Golden Boot, Lionel Messi, Gerd Muller, Morocco, Brazil

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