France striker Kylian Mbappe has revealed he played the World Cup semi-finals and final with a back injury he hid from his rivals. In an interview with France Football magazine, Mbappe says he displaced three vertebrae in his back during the tournament in Russia three days before France defeated Belgium 1-0 in the semi-finals.

France won the World Cup with a 4-2 victory over Croatia in the final. "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 including one in the final. "That's the reason why with the staff and the players we kept it hidden, even for the final."