Kylian Mbappe Rewrites FIFA World Cup Record Books With Never-Seen-Before Feat

France captain Kylian Mbappe hailed the current France team as “the one with the most potential” but also admitted that its “not the strongest yet” after he helped it register a 2-0 win over Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash on Thursday (local) time to set up a semifinal clash with either Belgium or Spain on July 14, as per the French news outlet L’Equipe. After a goalless first half in the quarter-final encounter, Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, putting France ahead with the opening goal. Ousmane Dembele later doubled the advantage to secure a 2-0 victory and send Les Bleus into the semi-finals. The result ended Morocco’s impressive run after another historic World Cup campaign, while France moved one step closer to the title.

Speaking after the win, Mbappe said the current France team has the most potential and the quality to achieve great things, but he does not consider it the strongest yet, as it has not won the World Cup yet. He added that the best teams are ultimately defined by the titles they win.

“I don’t know if it’s the strongest. I was a world champion and a world runner-up, and this team hasn’t achieved that yet. However, 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. But, 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,” Mbappe said as quoted by L’Equipe.

Mbappe, who experienced the World Cup win in 2018, a loss to Argentina in the 2022 final, and now another semifinal, said reaching a third World Cup semi-final is a special moment for France, especially for the experienced players. He added that he has no preference between Spain and Belgium as their potential opponents and is focused on recovery before the next challenge.

“It’s always a great moment. It’s an important step for the team, and for the more experienced players, it’s their third semi-final. Right now, I don’t have a preference for our next opponent, Spain or Belgium. I’m mainly focused on recovering. We’ll watch the match tomorrow. And whatever happens, it will be a chance for redemption for someone,” he said.

Mbappe said the France team has the potential to make history but stressed that talent alone is not enough. He added that the squad must prove itself on the pitch, despite having confidence in its ability.