Kylian Mbappe has asserted that the current French national team holds more potential than previous iterations, despite not yet matching their past achievements in major tournaments. France secured a spot in the semi-finals by defeating Morocco 2-0, setting up a match against either Belgium or Spain. Mbappe, who was part of the victorious 2018 World Cup squad and the runner-up team in 2022, noted that while this team hasn't won as much as those sides, its future prospects are significant.
"I don't know if it's the strongest, I was a world champion and a world runner-up, and this team hasn't achieved that yet," Mbappe said. "However, it's undoubtedly the one with the most potential. The one we can envision a future with. There's a lot of quality in this team; it allows us to dream."
He tempered this by emphasizing that until trophies are won, the team cannot be considered the strongest. "But, until proven otherwise, it hasn't won anything yet. I've always said that the strongest teams are the ones that win trophies. That's not the case for this one yet, so no, it's not the strongest."
Mbappe also reflected on a moment during the quarter-final match where a delay before his penalty kick led to a missed opportunity. He acknowledged that the confusion surrounding the VAR review and the subsequent wait of over three minutes impacted his concentration.
"I didn't take it well," Mbappe admitted. "It's complicated because there was a lot of confusion with the VAR review. I made the transition with Ousmane, who passed me the ball. Then he told me there might not be a penalty and that we had to wait for the decision. I let myself get distracted. I'd imagined many scenarios to stay focused before taking a penalty, but never this one. I'll have to adapt."
The penalty, awarded after Mbappe was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, was eventually saved by Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou. Despite the setback, Mbappe went on to break the deadlock in the second half with a goal, and Ousmane Dembele added a second to secure France's semi-final berth.
Commentators noted the unusual length of the delay, with some suggesting it unfairly placed additional pressure on the player. Former player Ian Wright posited that such delays can allow doubts to creep into a player's mind. However, Mbappe's performance in the second half demonstrated his resilience, as he contributed a crucial goal and an assist to ensure his team's victory.