France captain Kylian Mbappe said his aim is to win the FIFA World Cup 2026 final and not set individual scoring records. He said that the team’s success is his first priority and he is not paying attention to comparisons with Lionel Messi.
France captain and Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe has said that his main focus is to help his team ‘Les Bleus’ reach the final of the FIFA World Cup 2026 rather than chasing individual scoring records. According to Reuters, he said this after the 3-0 win against Sweden in the round of 32.
Mbappe, who has scored 18 goals in 18 matches in the FIFA World Cup, said that France is focusing on each match in the tournament and is preparing for the round of 16 match against Paraguay. “I think like I said, the goal is to go as far as possible – to reach the final on July 19 and come back here,” Mbappe told reporters, according to Reuters.
Team victory is priority, not individual record.
The France captain acknowledged that scoring goals naturally improves a player’s position in the record books, but insisted that the team’s success remains his priority. According to Reuters, he said, “We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the rankings – I’m not telling anyone anything new in this.”
What did Mbappe say on comparison with Messi?
Mbappe also shrugged off comparisons with Argentina legend Lionel Messi in the race for the World Cup scoring record. He added, “But I also believe that Leo (Lionel Messi) is going to score more goals, so I don’t pay too much attention to that. I’m more focused on the opponents we can face and how close we are getting to our goal: the final.”
‘There is still room for improvement’
Looking ahead to France’s next challenge in the Round of 16, Mbappe said the team will continue to work on improving certain aspects of their game despite their great attacking form. “I think we’ll keep working between now and the Paraguay match to see what we can improve, because there are still some sequences that are not completely clear; there is room for improvement,” he said.
Mbappe added, “Still, I think it’s positive overall, and our ability to score goals means we always have a chance to take the lead in matches.” France defeated Sweden 3–0 to advance to the round of 16, with Mbappé scoring two goals to become the leading goalscorer in FIFA World Cup knockout-stage history. (ANI)
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