The injury sustained by French national team captain Kylian Mbappé during the 1-0 victory over Turkey in the UEFA Nations League has raised questions about whether it is related to his official debut wearing the Swiss brand "On" shoes, following the end of his long partnership with Nike.
Mbappé scored France's only goal before immediately grabbing his left knee and leaving the field less than an hour into the match.
Coach Zinedine Zidane announced after the match that initial examinations showed an injury to the left knee tendon, confirming that the team would not risk playing the player in the remaining matches of the international break.
The injury occurred in the first official match in which Mbappé wore the new shoes, after he had played in the Madrid derby against Atlético wearing neutral white shoes that concealed the Nike logo, before later appearing in France's training wearing a prototype model of "On" shoes.
The coincidence of the injury with the debut of the new shoe has led to speculation on social media about a possible link between the two, but specialists in sports medicine and physical preparation urged caution and to avoid jumping to conclusions.
Physical therapist for knee injuries, Ángel Villanueva, explained that the shoe's interaction with the playing surface depends on many factors, including the shape of the studs, the firmness of the sole, the condition of the grass, moisture levels, along with the force exerted by the player during movement.
He stated that any change in the firmness, design, or ground adherence of the shoe could slightly affect the way of running, accelerating, or changing directions, but emphasized that this does not necessarily mean the shoe is the direct cause of the injury.
On her part, football medicine researcher Catherine Ockholm Krieger pointed out in previous studies that the relationship between shoes and injuries often correlates with the way studs grip the ground and the level of traction, which could increase the risk of ankle injuries or ligament tears in some cases.
For this reason, doctors and physical preparation teams recommend gradually introducing new shoes into training before using them in official matches, first testing them in simple exercises and then moving on to high speeds, direction changes, and shooting.
For his part, physical trainer Lucas Happy confirmed that professional players of Mbappé’s level usually undergo very thorough tests when changing sports equipment, which reduces the likelihood of sudden issues related to the shoe itself.
He added that matches remain different from the testing environment, due to the interplay of many factors such as fatigue, physical confrontations, the condition of the pitch, and opponent pressure, which are elements that are hard to replicate fully.
Performance consultant Alexander Marles, who has previously worked with the French national team and clubs like Paris Saint-Germain, Lyon, and Manchester City, believed it is unlikely that the new shoe is the sole cause of the injury.
He explained that players of Mbappé’s caliber typically receive shoes specifically designed for their feet after repeated tests of various sizes and technical adjustments, adding that any issues related to comfort or fitting would have been addressed before participating in official matches.
Marles noted that Mbappé played more than 50 minutes and scored a goal before the injury, suggesting that the injury could be due to a combination of factors, including the method of shooting, the positioning of the supporting leg, or accumulated muscular fatigue.
The Real Madrid forward returned to the Spanish capital for additional tests that will determine the potential duration of his absence, and according to Spanish newspaper "AS," there is a sense of concern within the club, especially since the player already faced issues with his left knee during part of the last season.
