Since arriving at their World Cup training base in Boston last week, the French national team has drawn significant attention from local fans. Crowds, primarily composed of younger supporters, have gathered outside the team hotel to cheer as players depart for practice. While all players are met with requests for autographs and waves, the reaction to Kylian Mbappé stands out as particularly enthusiastic.
Mbappé is among a select group of modern footballers who have resonated with the American public, though he has yet to achieve the mononymous status of icons like Messi. As France embarks on their quest for a third World Cup title, the spotlight on Mbappé intensifies, especially following his recent interview with Le Parisien where he dismissed any aspirations of becoming France’s president, stating, “I’m hated enough as it is!”
Didier Deschamps faces the challenge of managing the Mbappé situation while maintaining team harmony. The experienced coach, who has navigated the complexities of leading high-profile international teams, aims to mitigate distractions ahead of their Group I match against Senegal. He has consistently expressed strong support for his captain, particularly amid Mbappé’s vocal opposition to far-right ideologies in France, which has drawn criticism from figures like Michel Platini.
Mbappé did not attend France’s pre-match press conference, with N’Golo Kanté stepping in to represent the squad. Deschamps clarified that this absence wasn’t linked to any controversy, emphasizing, “My priority is to protect my players.”
When asked if managing such a famous player required a different approach, Deschamps acknowledged the unique nature of Mbappé’s fame. “I speak to [Mbappé] very often and he’s a world-famous player even in the US but it’s his life,” he remarked. “He manages himself. Kylian is Kylian. The younger generation, the less younger, love him everywhere in the world, but that doesn’t mean he’s not normal when he plays and when he’s in the group. This has got nothing to do with why he is not here today.”
Only four players from the 2018 World Cup-winning squad remain, including Mbappé and Kanté. Another notable player is Ousmane Dembélé, the current Ballon d’Or holder, who is also under the spotlight as fans hope he can replicate his club performance on the international stage, where he has scored seven goals in 59 appearances. Deschamps aims to ease the pressure on the Paris Saint-Germain forward, stating, “Ousmane is concerned and concentrated like all the other players, but there clearly is a desire to be very good and to be decisive, just like he is regularly with his club, PSG,”
Dembélé has been given additional time to recover following last month’s Champions League final, with Deschamps noting that his participation against Senegal will depend on “physical and probably more importantly psychological” factors. “If he’s at his top level it will be a plus for the French squad,” he added.
Deschamps’ approach reflects a broader strategy as he prepares for his final tournament as France’s head coach. He aims to downplay any expectations that his team is the favorite to win the World Cup. “France has the ability to win … but so do six or seven other nations,” he stated. “The way there is going to be hard. Of course, France has high-level potential because of the results it has produced over the last two World Cups. We’ve also got many high-quality players for whom this will be their first World Cup. And so I don’t want to paint the French squad as better than the others.”
After the press conference, Deschamps exited the New York/New Jersey Stadium looking at ease and pretended to be surprised when informed that the afternoon training session would be briefly open to the media. While many in his squad may be newcomers to such a World Cup environment, the coach and his key staff are well-versed in handling the surrounding scrutiny.
