Kylian Mbappe has insisted that his personal targets are not important amid the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot battle with Lionel Messi. He wants to help France make it to a third successive final after advancing to the Round of 32.
Speaking to the media after the match, Mbappe was quizzed by the media about the Golden Boot race with Messi. He was quick to say that the focus was on the team goals and nothing else as they look to take one step at a time and keep advancing.
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“I think the goal, as I said, is to go as far as possible, to make it to July 19 and come back here. We’re trying to win; we’re taking it one step at a time. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb in the rankings. But I’m also convinced that Leo is going to score more goals, so I don’t focus too much on that. I’m more focused on the opponents we might face and how close we’re getting to our goal: the final.” (via India Today)
France will take on Paraguay, who knocked out Germany in the Round of 32, next and the Frenchman is wary of the threat. He wants to work in training to improve and said:
“I think we’ll keep working between now and the Paraguay match to see what we can improve, because there are still some sequences that aren’t quite clear enough. Still, I think it’s positive overall, and our ability to score goals means we always have the chance to take the lead in matches.”
France’s game against Paraguay will be the second Round of 16 clash this year, following Canada vs Morocco – both on Saturday, July 4. Lionel Messi’s Argentina are yet to book a place in the Round of 16, and they face Cape Verde next.
Kylian Mbappe vs Lionel Messi for the FIFA World Cup Golden Boot
Kylian Mbappe pulled level with Lionel Messi’s six goals in the Golden Boot race on Tuesday, June 30, after scoring a brace against Sweden. The Argentine had taken the lead after notching six in his three FIFA World Cup group stage matches.
However, they are not alone, as Erling Haaland is just one goal behind in the chase. Vinicius Jr and Ousmane Dembele are also close, with four goals each in the tournament so far.
Apart from Lionel Messi, all players in the top 5 for the Golden Boot race have played their Round of 32 games.
Edited by Sripad