Mbappe leads France past Sweden in World Cup

Kylian Mbappe is spearheading France's World Cup ambitions, demonstrating a potent blend of individual brilliance and team leadership. Coach Didier Deschamps has cultivated a relationship with his captain akin to the one he shared with Didier Deschamps in 1998, entrusting Mbappe to carry the squad.

Mbappe's influence extends beyond his scoring prowess, having netted six goals in the tournament so far and providing two assists. He has actively supported teammates and emphasized the team's collective goal of winning the trophy, a lesson learned from the painful 2022 final loss to Argentina.

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Kylian knows how to defend. He scores goals too - more than anyone else. I told you from day one: he's on a mission. Even if you don't always hear me say it ... Even in the fitness drills, he was finishing first.

Despite past criticisms of individualism, Mbappe has become a unifying force for France. He has been seen encouraging teammates and has shown a willingness to contribute defensively. Deschamps praised Mbappe's commitment, stating he is on a mission and has fully embraced his captaincy, challenging external perceptions of his character.

France secured a comfortable 3-0 victory over Sweden in their last-32 match on Tuesday. Mbappe opened the scoring in the 45th minute with a powerful shot. Bradley Barcola doubled the lead in the second half after a pass from Michael Olise, who later provided another assist for Mbappe to seal the win in the 74th minute.

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I said a long time ago that he has embraced his role as captain. The image people may have of him from the outside doesn't always - in fact, only rarely - reflect who he really is.