‘I need to push myself further’ – Kylian Mbappé on the need to improve his defensive contribution | OneFootball

If you were to ask 100 people what Kylian Mbappé (27) is currently lacking in order to take his career to the next level, you wouldn’t be surprised if many of them pointed to his defensive work. Fortunately, this is precisely the weakness that the France captain intends to address in order to continue improving. And as quickly as possible. Starting with his World Cup debut this Tuesday against Senegal.

At least, that is what the Real Madrid player claims in the pages of Le Parisien, in an interview during which his own brother, Ethan, who plays for LOSC Lille, asks him about his defensive contribution.

“I’ve always been demanding, and I think I need to take it a step further in that regard,” admits Mbappé. “It’s something that’s important for the team, and I have to do it. It all has to start with this World Cup because we want to win it.”

Nevertheless, it remains “unthinkable” in the eyes of the former Paris Saint-Germain player “to be too tired to go and score a goal.” “It’s actually the other way round that you get tired,” he believes. “But nothing should go in one ear and out the other, especially when the criticism is constructive.”

With all eyes on him for his third appearance at the World Cup, Mbappé is well aware that he will need to raise his game just a little further to lead Les Bleus to a historic third title. And that will undoubtedly require significant defensive work.

GFFN | Léo Aschi