Published On 11/6/2026
French star Kylian Mbappe is competing in the third World Cup of his career and is the focus of great attention, not only as the captain of the French national team and one of the most prominent candidates to win the title, but also because of a relative decline in his offensive effectiveness during the last matches before the start of the tournament.
Mbappe failed to score during the last two friendly matches for the French national team against Côte d’Ivoire and Northern Ireland, which opened the door to discussion in the French press about his level, especially after he was adopted in the position of outright striker, a position in which he has not fully settled despite his participation in it in recent years.
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As Mbappe prepares to start his career in the 2026 World Cup on June 16, discussions are returning about his ability to lead the offensive line of the French national team, despite coach Didier Deschamps’ complete confidence in him, as he is the leader and one of the main pillars of the “Roosters” project.
The pressure of numbers also casts a shadow on Mbappe’s performance, as he is close to breaking Olivier Giroud’s record as the best scorer in the history of the French national team, which adds an additional dimension to the expectations placed on him, whether inside or outside France.
The matter does not stop there, as Mbappe continues to chase historical records at the World Cup level, as he scored 12 goals in two previous editions, and aspires to surpass the records of the top scorers in the history of the World Cup, which puts him before a great individual challenge in parallel with his collective goal of leading France to the title.
However, there remains great confidence within the French Football Federation in Mbappe’s ability to regain his level at the decisive moment, especially since the French national team enters the tournament as one of the most prominent candidates, relying on its captain to make the difference in major dates, as he did in previous editions of the World Cup.
