Written by Megan Taylor, sports reporter covering international sports since 2020
Kylian Mbappé leadership has become central to France’s World Cup campaign after the captain scored his eighth goal of the tournament in a 2-0 quarterfinal win over Morocco at Boston Stadium.
France have reached a third straight World Cup semifinal, with Didier Deschamps’ decision to appoint Kylian Mbappé as captain now producing clear results both on and off the pitch.
Elsewhere in the last eight, Thomas Tuchel warned England about Erling Haaland before facing Norway in another major World Cup quarterfinal.
Kylian Mbappé has scored 20 goals in 20 World Cup appearances and is one of only two players in the current France squad, alongside Ousmane Dembélé, to feature in the previous two tournaments.
The 27-year-old has used that experience to keep younger teammates calm as France prepare for their semifinal in Dallas. Tournament information and fixtures are available through the official FIFA World Cup page.
“I’ve been world champion and I’ve been runner-up, and this team is neither one nor the other,” Kylian Mbappé said. “As it stands it’s not the best team I’ve played in, but it might be the one with the most potential, the one with which we can look to the future more easily. This is a team that we can dream with, although the best teams are those who win.”
Kylian Mbappé’s warning comes from experience. France entered UEFA Euro 2020 with Kylian Mbappé, Antoine Griezmann and Karim Benzema in attack but were eliminated by Switzerland.
His calm message has helped France avoid complacency despite growing expectations. Didier Deschamps’ side now stand one victory away from a third consecutive World Cup final.
