Are the new boots to blame? Expert warned Kylian Mbappe days ago of an increased risk of injury
The shock over Kylian Mbappe's injury is still deep. Could the knock also be connected to his much-discussed boot deal? An expert had a corresponding premonition.
Spanish physiotherapist Angel Villanueva had already warned of an increased injury risk eight days before the match between France and Turkey, in which the Real Madrid superstar may have suffered a more serious injury, because of Mbappe's switch from Nike to the Swiss sports brand On. Even so, any direct link between the injury and Mbappe's new boots remains purely speculative at present.
"Any change in footwear (last, studs, stiffness, cushioning or weight) slightly alters biomechanics and the load on the feet, ankles, knees and muscle chains, temporarily increasing the risk of injury," Villanueva wrote in a post on X and warned: "It is a factor that should be taken into account and kept an eye on."
Mbappe did suffer a knee injury on Friday, in his debut in the new footwear, straight after his goal in Les Bleus' 1-0 win. After a brief celebration, he grabbed the area in question and France's medical staff treated him as he grimaced in pain. The forward initially returned to the pitch a short while later. That lasted only a few minutes before Mbappe went to ground and signalled that he could not continue after all.
Shortly afterwards, the French federation TFF issued an initial diagnosis: "Kylian Mbappe injured his knee while scoring the winning goal. He has suffered a tendon injury and will return to Madrid for treatment." France coach Zinedine Zidane was also anything but optimistic, saying: "Unfortunately, it doesn't look good."
Had Kylian Mbappe previously injured that knee?
On Saturday, Villanueva again referred to his warning to Mbappe in several posts. "Of course the issue is much more complex, but I have always tried to explain it in a simple way," he wrote, stressing: "There are also the incidents from last season involving that same knee (injury in December) and the problems he has had since the match against Elche."
Earlier this year, Mbappe missed several matches because of the injury in question. Explosive reports from Spain and France also surfaced around another spell on the sidelines in the spring, according to which he had become the victim of a misdiagnosis. Real's team of doctors are said to have initially examined the wrong leg of the Frenchman, which led to a personnel change in Real Madrid's medical department.
During that period, Mbappe is said to have played numerous matches in pain, and there was even speculation in the papers about a cruciate ligament injury. In the end, Mbappe underwent treatment in Paris and returned to the pitch for the second leg of the Champions League last-16 tie against Manchester City, going on to show top form again in the weeks that followed.
Kylian Mbappe no longer with Nike: how did the move to On come about?
Now the widely noted deal with On may have played a part in Mbappe's injury. A few days ago, the World Cup record goalscorer's surprise switch was announced after 20 years with Nike. Mbappe will also become a global brand ambassador for the Swiss company, which was founded in 2010 and is best known for running shoes and sportswear.
Headquartered in Zurich, the company also announced that France football legend Thierry Henry will in future serve as Director of Football. According to media reports, Henry had already been working behind the scenes for the company since 2025 and is said to have played a key role in convincing Mbappe to move to On. Tennis legend Roger Federer has also been a co-owner since 2019.
