“One of the best in the world” – Mbappé hails Bayern defender ahead of France’s World Cup opener | OneFootball

While many might have expected the Real Madrid forward to be referring to Bayern Munich attacker Michael Olise when discussing French talent at the Bundesliga champions, it was actually fellow Bayern star Dayot Upamecano who earned Mbappé’s admiration in an interview with French newspaper L’Équipe.

Boasting an abundance of world-class talent across the pitch, France once again head into a major tournament among the favourites to lift the trophy. Having won the World Cup in 2018 and narrowly missed out on retaining their crown in 2022, Didier Deschamps’ side will be aiming to go one step further this time around, with Upamecano expected to play a pivotal role.

The Bayern centre-back arrives at the tournament full of confidence after an impressive campaign in Munich and has firmly established himself as a key figure in Deschamps’ starting XI.

Speaking to L’Équipe, Mbappé was glowing in his assessment of the defender.

“He is going through one of the best periods of his career. Dayot is currently one of the very best defenders in the world,” said the France captain.

Mbappé was particularly keen to highlight the consistency Upamecano has displayed throughout the past season.

“He had an excellent campaign, but more importantly, he maintained a very high level throughout and hardly experienced any drop in form,” the forward explained.

The praise extended beyond Upamecano’s performances on the pitch. Mbappé also emphasised the defender’s personality and the respect he commands within the French squad.

“I really like that mix of shyness and self-confidence. At first glance, he seems reserved, but in reality he’s very sure of himself. He’s a great person to have around,” Mbappé said.

Comments such as these underline just how important Upamecano has become to the French national team in recent years.

France begin their World Cup campaign against Senegal before taking on Iraq and Norway in their remaining group-stage fixtures.