Football

Not Messi's record, Mbappe's focus is on winning the World Cup

Dhaka Magazine Desk Published: Wednesday, 01 July 2026 1 min read

However, Mbappe has said he is not thinking about personal records or matching Lionel Messi's goal tally. His only goal is to lead France to win the World Cup for the second time.

After the match, Mbappe said, “Our goal is to go as far as possible. To return here on July 19 and try to win the trophy. The more goals you score, the higher you go up the list—that's normal. But I am sure Leo (Messi) will score more goals ahead. My focus is not on records; I am only focused on beating the opponent and reaching the final.”

After the brilliant performance against Sweden, the Messi-Mbappe rivalry has come into discussion again. Like the final of the 2022 Qatar World Cup, the performance of the two stars is being discussed in this edition as well. However, Mbappe has said he does not give importance to these comparisons.

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According to the French forward, every match in the knockout stage is a different challenge. He said, “We knew a new competition was starting from the knockout stage. Starting like this is positive. We are happy to advance to the next round.”

Meanwhile, Mbappe has pledged to stand by the team's head coach Didier Deschamps during his difficult personal time. Deschamps returned to duty before the Sweden match after being away from the team for a few days due to the death of his mother.

Mbappe said, “There are things more important in life than the World Cup or football. The whole team is with the coach. Staying united is the identity of this team. We wanted to let him know he is not alone. Whatever comes ahead, we are all with our coach.”

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