Mbappe breaks silence after France reach World Cup semi-finals

France captain Kylian Mbappe has insisted that Les Bleus remain fully focused on their ultimate objective after securing a place in the FIFA World Cup 2026 semi-finals with a 2-0 victory over Morocco.

The French forward played a decisive role in Thursday's quarter-final, recovering from an early penalty miss to score the opening goal before helping create the second for Ousmane Dembélé, sending France into the last four for the third consecutive World Cup.

Despite another impressive performance, Mbappe stressed that France are refusing to become complacent as they continue their pursuit of a third World Cup title.

Speaking after the match, the captain dismissed suggestions that the team was on a predetermined mission to win the tournament, saying the players understand there is still significant work ahead.

"I don't know if you can say we are on a mission. That is the easy term to use," Mbappe told French broadcaster M6.

He added, "But I think we are aware that the only way to let up is by winning."

Mbappe acknowledged that tougher tests await as the competition enters its decisive stages.

He said, "We are in the semi-finals and we are very pleased. There is still a long way to go and we are aware that what awaits is going to be even harder, but we are ready.

"We are ready to confront everything we come up against, so we will recuperate in peace and watch tomorrow's game to find out who we will face next."

France will discover their semi-final opponents after Friday's quarter-final between Spain and Belgium.