Kylian Mbappe stated that the current French national team possesses more potential than the squads that reached the 2018 World Cup final and the 2022 final, though he stressed that this potential must be realized through winning trophies. France secured a spot in the semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, setting up a match against Belgium or Spain.
Mbappe, a member of the 2018 World Cup-winning team and a runner-up in 2022, noted that while this team has not yet matched those achievements, its future outlook is promising. "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," Mbappe said. However, he cautioned, "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."
In the quarter-final match against Morocco, Mbappe admitted that a delay of over three minutes before taking a first-half penalty disrupted his focus. The penalty was awarded after he was fouled by Noussair Mazraoui, but referee Facundo Tello conducted a VAR review before allowing the kick to be taken. The lengthy pause, during which Mbappe was seen interacting with the referee, led to a weakly struck shot that was saved by Morocco's goalkeeper Yassine Bounou.
"I didn't take it well," Mbappe acknowledged post-match. "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'll have to adapt."
Former players and pundits commented on the unusual delay. ITV pundit Roy Keane described the situation as "unfair," noting the pressure on world-class players in such circumstances. Ian Wright suggested that such extended waits can allow doubts to enter a player's mind, potentially impacting their performance. Keane added that "time is the enemy for a striker when you're waiting," giving an advantage to the opposing goalkeeper.
Despite missing the penalty, Mbappe went on to break the deadlock in the second half with a goal from distance, his 20th World Cup goal in 20 matches. Ousmane Dembele scored the second goal, securing France's progression to the semi-finals.