Kylian Mbappé expressed that his transfer to Real Madrid has significantly helped him regain his focus, as evidenced by his outstanding performance this season.
The France forward has netted 16 goals in just 14 matches for both club and country, managing to score in every outing except for one during his second season in Spain.
Though it took him until mid-January to reach that goal tally last year after moving from Paris Saint-Germain, the 26-year-old reported that adjusting to life outside of France has been a positive experience.
“I’ve settled in well in Madrid; I feel a bit more at ease,” he shared during a news conference ahead of the World Cup qualifier against Azerbaijan.
“This isn’t a criticism of France. The pace of life here is different—it’s not as frenetic as Paris. I’ve been able to clear my mind and regain my footing.”
Last month, Mbappé, who trained on his own Wednesday due to an ankle issue but has confirmed his fitness, surpassed Thierry Henry to become France’s second-highest all-time goalscorer, scoring a penalty during a qualifier against Iceland for his 52nd goal for the national team.
He now aims to overtake Olivier Giroud’s record of 57, but his current priority is to maintain France’s perfect run at the top of Group D and secure qualification.
“I believe I’ll break the record. When that happens, I can’t say—I’m not focused on it right now,” he remarked.
“It could be tomorrow or it could take a while. What matters most is qualifying for the World Cup; the goals will come as part of that process.”
“I’ll feel good when it happens, but we have important work to do.”
“Azerbaijan is a team that managed to draw with Ukraine, so we need to approach this match seriously.”
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“The stakes go beyond just scoring; the focus is on what’s at hand, and we won’t hold back.”
Head coach Didier Deschamps recognizes the importance of the situation and is not underestimating the 124th-ranked team in the world.
“We respect all of our opponents. They have their own national pride and, based on their recent performance, they have nothing to lose,” he stated.
“We cannot afford to give them any opportunities to create dangerous situations against us.”
“It’s not always easy for players. Just because we have six points doesn’t mean qualification is guaranteed.”
“While it’s easy to poke fun at Italy for missing the last World Cup, we need to keep our past in mind.”
“In football, anything can happen; I don’t want to leave anything to chance.”