Kylian Mbappe showed no signs of injury as he guided his French team to a 2-1 win against Brazil in Boston. The Frenchman has been nursing a knee injury, but looked fit before being taken off in the 60th minute.

Mbappe played for Real Madrid as a substitute in the final two games after missing nearly a month due to a left knee strain. Mbappe was started by France coach Didier Deschamps, but he was only allowed to play for around an hour before being replaced in the 65th minute.

Mbappe, the 2022 Golden Boot winner and 2018 World Cup champion, hurt his left knee in December but continued to play until January before missing nearly a month. On Monday, he declared that his injuries were behind him.

Mbappe looked fit as he raced onto a ball from Ousmane Dembele in the 32nd minute to give France a lead. Mbappe tapped it ahead once before calmly chipping it over the keeper.

France took a 2-0 lead in the 65th minute when Ekitike, Liverpool`s top scorer this season, converted a pass from Michael Olise in the penalty area. Mbappe left for a substitute immediately afterwards.

Brazil reduced the deficit to 2-1 when Bremer rerouted a cross from Luiz Henrique past France keeper Mike Maignan after Dayot Upamecano of France was sent off in the 55th minute for taking down a player who was through on goal. The card was upgraded from yellow to red following a video review.

Even though the temperature in early spring New England was in the mid-60s Fahrenheit (15 Celsius), the game also included a mid-half “cooling break” that allowed players to rest and hydrate. FIFA declared that all games in the 2026 World Cup would feature the break, regardless of the temperature on the field, following a heat wave during the Club World Cup last year.

Brazil and France to play more friendlies before the World Cup

Brazil will play Croatia on Tuesday in Orlando, Florida, their first matchup since the 2022 World Cup quarterfinals. France will play Colombia in Landover, Maryland, on Sunday. 

“There are no friendlies for us. Every game is a big game, and we have to play it as if it were a World Cup final,” defender Leo Pereira said.

(With AP input)

One of badminton`s all-time greats, Carolina Marin on Thursday announced her retirement due to a persistent knee injury, bringing the curtain down on a glittering career that has an Olympic gold medal and three World Championship titles.

In a video message shared on her social media accounts, captioned “My journey ends here”, the former World No. 1 Spaniard said the recurring injury had forced her to take the difficult call, opting to prioritise her long-term health over a final appearance on court.

Mi camino acaba aquí. Gracias a todos, porque también habéis formado parte de ello. En esta nueva aventura llevaré conmigo los valores que me han acompañado hasta ahora e intentaré devolver a la sociedad todo lo que me ha dado en este tiempo. Ha sido un viaje maravilloso ♥️ pic.twitter.com/3aKNDo0Mc4

— Carolina Marín (@CarolinaMarin) March 26, 2026

“My journey in professional badminton has come to an end and therefore I will not be competing in the European Championships in Huelva,” Marin said.

“I wanted us to see each other for the last time on a track, but I don`t want to put my body at risk for that. I said many times, and I am consistent with my decision.”

Marin shared one of modern badminton`s most compelling rivalries with India`s two-time Olympic medallist PV Sindhu, with the duo producing several memorable encounters over the years.

She famously defeated Sindhu in the final of the Rio 2016 Olympics and again in the summit clash of the 2018 World Championships.

The 32-year-old was set to feature in next month`s European Championships in Huelva, Spain, an event that was meant to mark her farewell on home soil.

“I wish I had gotten the opportunity to end my career in a different way, but sometimes in life, things don`t always go the way that we want it to and we have to accept that.”

Marin retires with an illustrious record, having won world titles in 2014, 2015 and 2018, seven European crowns, and the Olympic gold at Rio 2016.

Her last competitive appearance came at the Paris 2024 Olympics, a remarkable return after overcoming two anterior cruciate ligament tears in 2019 and 2021.
“In the end, I did retire on a track, in Paris, in 2024, only then we did not know,” she said.

“Thank you for never letting me fall, for being by my side, and for supporting me in the hardest moments. Thank you for your unconditional love,” Marin added.

Although she will not compete in Huelva, Marin said she will still be present at the championships.

“In a way, I will be retiring at Huelva, not with a racquet in my hand, but by giving back all the energy to the city where I was born and to experience an unforgettable week,” the Spaniard said.

“I leave feeling very proud of everything I have achieved in the sport. Not just the titles, but also earning the respect of the sports world both on and off the court,” she said.

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