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Kylian Mbappe urged France to stay focused after reaching the World Cup semi-finals, insisting there is no room for complacency as the challenges ahead will be even tougher.
The France captain also allayed concerns over his fitness, describing the ankle issue that forced him off as minor and saying he was fine, adding that the substitution was a tactical decision to allow Jean-Philippe Mateta to see out the closing stages. France booked their place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco in a gripping quarter-final encounter at Boston Stadium. Mbappe and Ousmane Dembele scored in the second half to send France into the final four of the ongoing World Cup. With this, France reaches its 3rd consecutive World Cup semifinal. Mbappe also won the player of the match award, winning it for the third time in this World Cup edition. "There can be no let-up. There is still a long way to go, and what lies ahead will be even tougher," Mbappe said after the match, as per Reuters. "It's a minor ankle injury, but I'm fine. In that moment, I think Mateta was better suited to continue for the remaining minutes of the match. But I'm fine, don't worry," he added. Mbappe continued his sensational runs in the ongoing FIFA World Cup, as he scored the opening goal for his side against Morocco in their FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final in Boston. The goal helped Mbappe reach a remarkable milestone in his World Cup career. The France captain took his tally to 20 FIFA World Cup goals across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 editions, moving within one goal of Lionel Messi's all-time tournament record of 21. This was Mbappe's eighth goal of the ongoing edition. Mbappe's eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup also saw him join Argentina's Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race. (ANI)
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