Mbappé v Haaland set for World Cup golden boot battle, says Deschamps | OneFootball

Frenchman Kylian Mbappé and Norwegian Erling Haaland, whose national teams share Group I of the 2026 World Cup, will compete for the Golden Boot at next year's tournament in North America, predicted the coach of the French national team, Didier Deschamps, this Friday.

France and Norway will be joined by Senegal in the first stage of the World Cup, which will be hosted by the United States, Canada, and Mexico next year, following the draw held this Friday in Washington.

The clash between the stars of Real Madrid and Manchester City, two of the world's top scorers, is one of the highlights of the group stage of the first World Cup with 48 teams.

“It’s a beautiful duel. They are already fighting this battle from afar, but there are also many other important players on their teams and on ours,” said Deschamps, who led France to the World Cup title in Russia in 2018.

“But obviously, both Kylian and Haaland are world-renowned players, so they are in the running and will continue until the end for the top scorer title.”

Norway's Strength

Despite the focus on the battle for the top scorer, the French coach warned about the strength of Norway, which qualified comfortably for its first World Cup since the 1998 edition, held in France.

“Besides Haaland, we have (Alexander) Sorloth and many other players who play for the best European clubs. The Norwegian national team has a very, very high level,” he warned.

“Solid” Group

The 57-year-old coach, whose team was runner-up at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, considered Group I “solid and compact,” awaiting the fourth team, which will come from a playoff in March between Iraq, Suriname, and Bolivia.

“With Senegal and Norway, it’s clear that Group I is one of the toughest, if not the toughest. But hey, it’s the World Cup, we know what awaits us,” he said.

No Time for “Nostalgia”

Deschamps also stated that he “doesn’t have time” to feel “nostalgia” over the fact that the North American World Cup will be his last competition in charge of France.

“I’m not a person without emotions, although when I’m in front of you, I tend to hide them well or not show them fully. You could criticize me for that, but no, I’m not nostalgic,” he noted.

This article was translated into English by Artificial Intelligence. You can read the original version in 🇧🇷 here.