During a pre-World Cup match between France and the U.S. on Saturday, two players were left injured and bloodied after a literal head-to-head collision.
In a match that ended in a 1-1 draw, Olivier Giroud and Matt Miazga were forced to leave the game, which was France's last warm-up before the World Cup commences (the United States did not qualify). Nearly an hour into the game, the two players clashed heads on a corner kick.
After the players collided and fell, blood dripped down both of their faces before the medical staff poured onto the field. The game halted for five minutes while the players were attended to. Miazga, a U.S. defender, looked a bit worse off than Giroud, a forward who walked away without needing assistance with a wrap around his head. The two players were removed from the rest of the game.
ESPN reports that Giroud received six stitches for a gash above his eye. According to manager Dave Sarachan, Miazga did need 15 stitches to close up a cut, but he luckily did not suffer a concussion. Giroud was replaced by Ousmane Dembele, and Erik Palmer Brown stepped in for Miazga following the collision.
The World Cup will kick off on June 14 with a match between Russia and Saudi Arabia. World Cup 2018 takes place in Russia. The official song of 2018's World Cup is a Will Smith collaboration with Diplo, Nicky Jam, and Era Istrefi called "Live It Up."
