Kylian Mbappé: I Won’t Play to Silence Critics, I’d Retire at 80

Kylian Mbappé, the star forward for the French national team, spoke after France’s opening match against Senegal in the 2026 FIFA World Cup.

Mbappé led France to a crucial victory over Senegal with a score of 3-1 at MetLife Stadium during the first round of group stage matches.

In post-match comments, Mbappé stated, “I don’t play for revenge. If I wanted to play to silence critics, I would have to stay on the pitch until I’m 80 years old. I play to write the history of my country.”.

The French star emphasized, “My focus is solely on giving my best for my national team; that is what matters most in any case.”.

He continued, “This is a team game, and we shouldn’t rush to judgment. We remain calm and all understand that the World Cup goes by quickly; we will play our next match against Iraq in just six days.”.

Mbappé is continuing to make history at the World Cup, now having scored 14 goals in the tournament, surpassing Argentine star Lionel Messi in the all-time World Cup scoring list.

The French captain also broke Olivier Giroud’s record, becoming the all-time leading scorer for the French national team.