As the captain of the French national team, Mbappe also reflected on the current state of the squad and whether they have improved since their dramatic defeat in the 2022 World Cup final. “We have more talent, more potential, but are we stronger? I don’t know. The results will tell us. But when you see how the players perform, there’s a lot to look forward to. It’s exciting. But to be considered strong, you have to win and prove it on the pitch. I’ve seen talented France teams that didn’t win. In the end, only victory matters,” he explained.
Mbappe also dismissed the idea that being tournament favourites is a burden for the team, stating: “No, it’s not dangerous because you can be brought back down very quickly. Senegal will come at us hard if we think we’re world champions from the start, and we’ll come back down to earth fast. That’s not the team’s mentality. We have that carefree attitude because we’re a young group, but we’re also aware that there’s still a lot to do just to reach the ultimate goal. There will be the first competition with the group stage, and then a second one with the knockout phase.”
