Foxborough, United States: Kylian Mbappe’s critics might say he has not always been a true team player but the France superstar is revelling in his role as captain at this World Cup, as he seeks to lead Les Bleus to a third title.
The 27-year-old had a difficult end to last season with Real Madrid, being booed by supporters who questioned his commitment to the cause as he nursed an injury.He has always been a prolific finisher, but his tally of 86 goals in two seasons was not enough to deliver a major title for Real.
Similarly, he left Paris Saint-Germain in 2024 as their all-time top scorer but without winning the Champions League. It might not entirely be a coincidence that they have gone on to be champions of Europe two years running since his departure.But it is his relationship with the World Cup that has really shaped Mbappe, and he has looked like a man on a mission over the last month in the United States.
Mbappe has so far netted seven goals in his team’s five games before Thursday’s quarter-final against Morocco at the Gillette Stadium near Boston.The breakthrough star in the France team that won the 2018 World Cup, and scorer of a hat-trick in the epic 2022 final defeat by Argentina, Mbappe recently became his country’s all-time top scorer.
