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Meknes – France manager Didier Deschamps has confirmed that captain Kylian Mbappé is mentally prepared and fully focused ahead of Thursday’s 2026 FIFA World Cup quarter-final against Morocco.
The reassurance follows recent off-field controversy surrounding offensive remarks directed at the French forward by a Paraguayan senator.
Speaking at the pre-match press conference, Deschamps addressed the French captain’s state of mind following the recent controversy, stressing that the forward remains unfazed.
“Kylian is fine. On a mental level, he went through something, and I don’t want to go back over that. He is a very strong young man, both mentally and physically. His focus is entirely on tomorrow’s match, which will be very difficult because we have two teams that possess quality, and there is only room for one team to go through. But Kylian is doing well, just like the rest of the group, and he is ready for tomorrow’s game,” Deschamps said.
The French manager downplayed the idea that mental preparation alone is enough, shifting the focus back to physical performance during the 90 minutes.
“The group’s mindset doesn’t make you win matches, but I know very well that it can be the reason you lose them. In the end, the only truth is what happens on the pitch,” he added.
Reflecting on the challenges players face over a long season, Deschamps recalled France’s previous tournament difficulties to illustrate how physical and mental fatigue can affect performance.
“There are periods that are more or less difficult for some players. You are talking about Kylian, and after the injury he suffered in the European Championship, his journey could have stopped there too. And if we look back a little, even though we reached the semi-finals in that tournament, we suffered offensively because a large number of players were, unfortunately, dealing with physical issues,” he explained.
Deschamps concluded by praising Mbappé’s leadership as a captain, explaining how the squad works together internally to support any player facing personal or professional difficulties.
“Returning to Kylian, he is the captain and fully embraces this role, performing it excellently. He is well aware that his behavior affects the entire group, and of course, the players manage things among themselves. I am not saying they make their own rules, but there is a kind of organization, because one, two, or three players may sometimes go through professional or personal circumstances that leave them less than their usual selves. And this is where the role of the group comes in to support everyone,” he concluded.
The highly anticipated match kicks off this Thursday at 9:00 PM Moroccan time at Boston Stadium. This quarter-final serves as a major rematch of their 2022 World Cup semi-final showdown, where France narrowly defeated Morocco 2-0.
