France captain Kylian Mbappe promises increased defensive work at World Cup
France captain Kylian Mbappe has vowed to improve his defensive work rate ahead of their opening World Cup fixture against Senegal on Tuesday following recent criticism.
The 27-year-old Real Madrid forward has faced intense scrutiny regarding his leadership and overall performances for both club and country.
International team-mate Ousmane Dembele recently defended the forward, stating that the public backlash had gone too far.
Speaking to French newspaper Le Parisien, the prolific attacker was teased about his defensive output by his younger brother Ethan, who plays for Lille.
‘Ready to do whatever’ to win
Acknowledging the need for improvement, the former Paris St-Germain star admitted that he must contribute more without the ball.
“I need to take the extra step [with my defensive work] because it’s something important for the team and I have to do it,” he said.
“It will start this time because we want to win, and to win, I’m ready to do whatever because I want to win at all costs.”
Real Madrid struggles and stark statistics
The global superstar endured a challenging second season at the Bernabeu amid fan frustration and rumours of dressing-room unrest as Los Blancos failed to secure a trophy.
Despite finishing as La Liga’s top scorer, Opta data highlighted a significant lack of defensive impact from the lethal marksman.
Out of 1,490 players in Europe’s top five leagues with a minimum of 19 appearances, he ranked a lowly 1,350th for combined interceptions, blocks, tackles, and possession won.
Furthermore, the French international managed just 0.14 tackles per 90 minutes, ranking as the fifth lowest across the continent’s major competitions.
Chasing Giroud’s goalscoring record
Despite his defensive shortcomings, the lightning-fast striker has consistently delivered on the biggest stage, netting 12 times in 14 previous tournament appearances.
This phenomenal record includes a memorable hat-trick during the 2022 final defeat against Argentina.
Just one more goal will see him draw level with Olivier Giroud as his nation’s all-time leading scorer.
Leading his country into a major global tournament for the first time since succeeding Hugo Lloris as captain in 2023, he will also face Iraq and Norway in the group stage.
