Mbappe Says France Has Huge Potential but Must Win Titles to Be Considered the Best

Foxborough, July 2026 : France superstar Kylian Mbappe hailed the immense potential of the current French squad after guiding the two-time world champions into a third successive FIFA World Cup semi-final, but insisted the team still has to win major trophies before it can be regarded as the country’s greatest side.

France secured a convincing 2-0 victory over Morocco in the World Cup quarter-final on Friday, with Mbappe recovering from an early setback to play a decisive role in the win. The Real Madrid forward missed a first-half penalty but responded in spectacular fashion by breaking the deadlock in the 60th minute with a superb strike. Ousmane Dembele doubled France’s lead six minutes later after being set up by Mbappe, sealing Les Bleus’ place in the last four.

Reflecting on the team’s achievement, Mbappe said the current French squad possesses enormous talent but has yet to match the accomplishments of previous generations that lifted the World Cup trophy.

“I don’t know if this is the strongest France team,” Mbappe said after the match. “I was fortunate to be part of a World Cup-winning team and also a runner-up side. This group hasn’t achieved those things yet. It certainly has tremendous potential and a bright future because there is so much quality in the squad. It allows us to dream, but until we win trophies, we cannot call ourselves the strongest team. The greatest teams are remembered for winning titles.”

The 27-year-old described reaching a third consecutive World Cup semi-final as another significant milestone for the French national team, particularly for the experienced players who have now featured in three successive last-four appearances at football’s biggest tournament.

“It’s always a special moment,” he said. “Reaching another semi-final is an important achievement for the entire team. For several of us, this is our third straight World Cup semi-final, and that says a lot about the consistency of this group.”

France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals, but Mbappe said he has no particular preference regarding their next opponents.

“My focus is on recovery first,” he remarked. “We’ll watch the other quarter-final and see who qualifies. Whoever we face will be a strong opponent, and it will be another huge challenge.”

Mbappe also continued his remarkable march through the World Cup record books. His goal against Morocco was his eighth of the 2026 FIFA World Cup, taking his overall tally to 20 goals in just 20 World Cup appearances across the 2018, 2022 and 2026 tournaments.

The feat makes him the youngest player to reach 20 World Cup matches and the fastest player to score 20 goals in the competition’s history. He now trails only Argentina captain Lionel Messi, who holds the all-time World Cup scoring record with 21 goals.

With France now just one victory away from another World Cup final, Mbappe will have the opportunity to equal—or even surpass—Messi’s historic scoring milestone when Les Bleus take the field in the semi-finals.