Mbappe Welcomes Criticism After Scoring His 50th International Goal For France

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Kylian Mbappe appreciates when critics highlight his goal droughts for France, as it underscores the expectations placed on him. The Real Madrid star netted his 50th international goal in France's 2-0 victory over Germany in Stuttgart, securing third place in the 2024-25 Nations League. Only Thierry Henry and Olivier Giroud have scored more for Les Bleus. This marked Mbappe's first open-play goal for France in a year.

Mbappe also assisted Michael Olise for the second goal, bringing his tally to a goal and an assist in 17 matches for France. No other player with at least ten appearances has achieved this feat more than Mbappe. When asked by TF1 if criticism about his lack of open-play goals bothers him, he responded: "No. There are times like that. It's good that people point it out when I don't score because it means people are waiting for me to score. It puts respect on my name."

With the Nations League concluded, Didier Deschamps' squad now turns its attention to World Cup qualification. France triumphed in 2018 and finished second to Argentina in 2022. Mbappe emphasised the significance of focusing on qualifying: "I talk about it all the time. It's the most important competition for us. Representing your country at the World Cup is the best thing ever."

France's semi-final against Spain ended in a dramatic 5-4 loss after trailing 5-1, prompting reflection within the team. Mbappe noted: "We learned a lot from both matches, both positive and negative... There are a lot of things to analyse." He expressed satisfaction with their response against Germany, acknowledging the challenge of playing them at home.

The journey towards World Cup qualification begins with their first match against Ukraine in September. Mbappe stressed the need for immediate engagement: "Now we have to qualify... We'll have to get involved right away to begin the long journey that is the World Cup."