N’Golo Kante was one of France’s most important players during the World Cup. He was terrific in the center of the midfield and played his part brilliantly till the semi-finals. However, in the final, Kante looked to be a shadow of his usual self as his performance was not something one demands in a match of this magnitude.
Kante was eventually subbed early in the second half. Kante may have ended up on the winning side but it was still strange that one of the greatest exponents in his position endured a below-average performance in a World Cup final.
However, there was a very big reason behind Kante’s final showing. Kante was suffering from a stomach bug brought on by a bout of gastroenteritis. He played the match with the bug. The Chelsea midfielder received a yellow card in the 27th minute of the match.
Steven N’Zonzi replaced him in the 55th minute. This was N’Zonzi’s earliest substitute appearance of the tournament. Following Kante’s departure, France scored another two goals and won the match 4-2 to lift their second World Cup trophy and their first in 20 years.
