Kylian Mbappe did not perform at his best against Poland despite a second-half brace that helped fire France into the quarter-finals, Didier Deschamps said.
With five goals in Qatar, Mbappe's career tally at the World Cup is now at nine at the age of 23, with only Just Fontaine (13) scoring more for France at the tournament – all of which came in the 1958 World Cup.
Despite his goalscoring exploits, Deschamps stated his belief Mbappe did not have his best performance.
"We know about Kylian. We've already seen him. He speaks on the football pitch," the coach said in the post-match press conference.
"He didn't have his best match tonight, I don't want to accuse him of anything, and he knows that himself. But he can change a match in a moment.
"He's playing with such joy. We want to share those smiles with him. France needed a great Kylian Mbappe tonight, and they got one."
The Paris Saint-Germain striker will share the headlines with Olivier Giroud, who opened the scoring against Poland to become his nation's all-time leading scorer with 52 goals – surpassing Thierry Henry's tally that had stood since 2009.
Giroud was a key member of France's squad in Russia in 2018, although he failed to score and now boasts four goals in Qatar, an impressive return considering he would likely have played a reduced role had Karim Benzema remained fit.
Deschamps hailed Giroud's efforts and impact but acknowledged he may well be surpassed by Mbappe further down the line. The France number 10 already has 33 international goals.
"Olivier has always been an important player. Four years ago he didn't score, but he was a very important player for us," Deschamps said. "There were difficult periods for him in his career.
"Today we're seeing his quality. He's often criticised but has managed to remain strong, mentally strong. It was a very difficult record, because it was Thierry Henry before him.
"There's a guy next to me [Mbappe] who might break it one day. To score so many goals at international level is an incredible achievement."
Poland head coach Czeslaw Michniewicz can understand frustration around Robert Lewandowski's role after the team's World Cup exit.
A 3-1 defeat to France in the round of 16 on Sunday meant the end for Poland in Qatar, who went down to goals from Olivier Giroud and Kylian Mbappe, who scored twice. Lewandowski netted a consolation penalty in stoppage time at Al Thumama Stadium.
This was Poland's first match in the knockout stage of a World Cup since 1986, when they lost 4-0 to Brazil in the round of 16.
Speaking at a press conference after the defeat, Michniewicz accentuated the positive of his team reaching the last-16 stage for the first time in 36 years, even though he was disappointed by the result.
"Unfortunately, this tournament is over for us. After 36 years, we reached the knockout stage but faced the current world champions. Congratulations to France," he said.
"We had good situations at 0-0 and I think many things changed before the break with [Giroud's 44th-minute] goal, the French became calmer and we became nervous.
"We knew we could still recover, we made some changes on the hour, another forward came on [Arkadiusz Milik] and had moments where we could score. [But then] Mbappe scored fantastically and not even Wojciech [Szczesny] could help us on this occasion, even though he had an excellent tournament.
"After some weeks and months I think we will be able to be look back and appreciate that we achieved something here we have not done in 36 years."
Michniewicz would not speak on his own future, with his contract reportedly up at the end of the tournament, and was also asked about 34-year-old Lewandowski, who scored his first two World Cup goals in Qatar but largely cut an isolated figure during Poland's campaign.
"He will decide his future himself," the coach said. "Looking at the way he is playing, I think he will be captain for years. Let's see if he'll play at the next World Cup.
"Expectations are always huge and the same is for Lewandowski. His situation is difficult. The style of Portugal or France is more beneficial for the forwards. We have a different style, we have some limitations and need to focus on others and close the gap of levels against [Lionel] Messi, Mbappe and other strikers."
He added of the Barcelona forward: "It is a difficult situation for Lewandowski, but I still think he will always score for the national team."
Mbappe was in electric form, becoming the youngest player to reach five knockout stage goals at the World Cup since Pele in 1958, and Michniewicz heaped praise on the rapid attacker.
"You don't have to be a coach to know what the biggest strength of France is, we always wanted to have two players on [Ousmane] Dembele and Mbappe," the Poland boss said.
"Giroud is so smart in the penalty area that he so often scores from the middle of the goal after work from the wingers. We were ready for that, but no coach has a recipe to stop Mbappe in the form he is in.
"A fantastic player, he harmed us today. I think he will be the one to take over as the best in the world for many years."
Olivier Giroud pledged to put his record-breaking 52nd France goal behind him after helping Les Bleus reach the World Cup quarter-finals with a 3-1 win over Poland.
Giroud equalled Thierry Henry's tally of 51 France goals by scoring twice against Australia in his side's World Cup opener last month, and he went one better by opening the scoring with a neat finish at the Al Thumama Stadium on Sunday.
Kylian Mbappe then scored two outstanding goals as France maintained their record of advancing from all of their last-16 World Cup ties, with this sixth such win teeing up a meeting with England or Senegal.
Asked about his record-breaking strike by TF1, Giroud said he was simply relieved to have ended conversations about when his historic goal would arrive.
"My wife and my children were there, plus my childhood friend. It's a childhood dream to beat Thierry Henry like that," Giroud said.
"A lot of people told me it was coming, now I put it behind me and my obsession is to go as far as possible with the team.
"I was a little frustrated not to have been able to capitalise on one or two crosses that we made at the start of the match, so I really wanted to score this goal, just to stop talking about it!"
The victory means France remain on course to become the first team to retain the World Cup since Brazil did so in 1962, while Les Bleus have only lost one of their seven knockout games at the tournament under Didier Deschamps.
France lost several key players – including Karim Benzema, Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante – to injury ahead of the tournament, and Giroud believes strong team spirit has helped them cope.
"The adventure continues. We said to ourselves in the locker room that to live a magnificent experience together, we had to be united and be one," Giroud said.
"We were able to find the right words in the locker room, we have a great group of friends, it shows on the field. This team is rewarded for its efforts."
Midfielder Adrien Rabiot concurred, adding: "It makes me happy, you have to leave the pitch without regret, that's what I try to do at every match, as long as it lasts.
"Above all, we must insist on solidarity and unity in this team, that's what makes us strong. If we continue like this, we can do great things."
Kylian Mbappe matched a 64-year World Cup record set by Brazil great Pele after bagging a brace in France's 3-1 victory over Poland in Sunday's last-16 tie.
On the day team-mate Olivier Giroud passed Thierry Henry to become France's all-time top goalscorer, team-mate Mbappe continued to burnish his own legacy.
With his two goals – both excellent strikes delivered with poise through a strained Polish defence – Mbappe has further written his name into World Cup history at Qatar 2022.
He now has five goals in the knockout stages of the competition, when factoring in the three he netted for the tournament winners at Russia 2018.
At 23 years and 349 days, it makes him the youngest player to reach that number after Brazil legend Pele, who bagged as many during the Selecao's victorious Sweden 1958 campaign, aged 17 years and 249 days.
Mbappe now moves to nine goals in all World Cup fixtures, pulling him one clear of Cristiano Ronaldo, who will be in action with Portugal against Switzerland on Tuesday.
It also sees him match Lionel Messi, who nabbed his first-ever knockout goal at the competition during Argentina's 2-1 win over Australia on Saturday.
With just a four-goal gap to Just Fontaine's France competition record of 13, Mbappe could conceivably catch his compatriot during the rest of his stay in Qatar, though he remains seven off Miroslav Klose's all-time record of 16.
Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden have been chosen to support Harry Kane in England's World Cup last 16 clash with Senegal.
It means Marcus Rashford, the scorer of two goals in England's 3-0 win against Wales in their final group game, has to settle for a place on the bench alongside Jack Grealish. Raheem Sterling was unavailable as he is dealing with a family matter.
Jordan Henderson retains his place in midfield alongside Declan Rice, with Jude Bellingham continuing in a more advanced role.
Kyle Walker starts at right-back ahead of Kieran Trippier at Al Bayt Stadium.
Idrissa Gueye misses out for Senegal due to suspension.
Morocco goalkeeper Yassine Bounou says Spain will force his side to raise their level after they reached the last 16 of the World Cup for just the second time.
The Atlas Lions reached the knockout rounds after an unbeaten Group F campaign in which they held 2018 finalists Croatia to a draw and shocked Belgium, before sealing top spot with victory over Canada.
Their reward is a tie with La Roja, themselves reeling from the surprise of qualifying second out of Group E after Japan snatched victory against them in their final game, in the process eliminating Germany.
While his team have already written their place in national sporting folklore, Bounou knows that something truly special is on the line when the pair meet in Al Rayyan on Tuesday.
"We've already made history by reaching the last 16, but we want more," he stated. "To eliminate Spain, that would create history in this World Cup, and in our country's footballing story.
"We want to make our people happy. We are thoroughly prepared. We have got better and better with each passing game, and I'm sure we'll be in good shape."
Amid a World Cup that has already delivered shock results, Morocco's victory over Belgium remains a major one – but Bounou, who plays his club career in LaLiga with Sevilla, knows Luis Enrique's side will be a different beast.
"Spain will force us to be at our best," he added. "It's a very competitive game, one which will come down to the finer details. We have to be prepared for that."
Thomas Muller needs time to decide his international future after Germany's early World Cup exit, the Bayern Munich star said on Sunday.
A surprise defeat to Japan in Germany's opening game in Qatar was followed by a 1-1 draw with Spain, with elimination confirmed despite a 4-2 victory over Costa Rice in their final group match.
It represented the second group-stage elimination in a row for Germany at the World Cup, having fallen at the same hurdle when defending their title in Russia four years ago.
Muller heavily hinted at retirement from Germany duty after the team's latest elimination, and he has now stated he has begun the process of dealing with the events.
Muller posted a lengthy message on Instagram that read: "The sting is brutally deep, felt deeper than usual.
"It was a wave of emotions. Anticipation, ambition, politics, rejection, opening defeat, hope and recognition after game 2, then with our first tournament victory at the same time the elimination and therefore the complete disaster."
Muller, now 33, was a World Cup winner with Germany in 2014 and has scored 44 goals in 121 appearances for the national team.
He said of this World Cup disappointment: "It's more opaque than usual, there are more contradictions. It's more difficult at this World Cup to filter and interpret what you've experienced correctly. How to evaluate the achievements and results?
"The big question in life: what happened? Despite all the experience with great successes and also crushing defeats, I will need some time this time to organise everything.
"A big thank-you goes out to everyone who has supported us as a team and myself personally over the last few weeks – even in difficult moments! See you soon."
Mauricio Pochettino insists Kylian Mbappe is not a difficult player to coach and believes the Paris Saint-Germain and France forward will learn to "manage himself" as he matures.
Pochettino spent 18 months working with Mbappe before leaving the Parc des Princes in July, leading the Parisian giants to the Ligue 1 title and the Coupe de France.
However, much of Pochettino's time at PSG was marred by reports of rifts between high-profile players, while some claiming the club gave Mbappe excessive influence over their strategy when he rejected a move to Real Madrid to sign a new three-year contract in May.
Asked whether managing Mbappe had been challenging, Pochettino told the BBC: "He's 23 and already won the World Cup, he's an amazing talent.
"The problem is sometimes you need to manage yourself because we are talking about a top three, top five best player in the world.
"It's not easy for him to manage himself because he's not mature enough, he's still a child.
"But I think he's doing well. Sometimes people talk too much, but I don't think it's like this."
The prolific Mbappe scored a sublime double in France's 3-0 World Cup round of 16 win over Poland on Sunday and is leading the race for the Golden Boot with five goals.
Mbappe recorded 60 goal contributions in 46 appearances under Pochettino last season (39 goals, 21 assists) – more than any other player in Europe's top five leagues.
Olivier Giroud scored his 52nd goal for France to become his country’s all-time top scorer and Kylian Mbappe added two more as they beat Poland 3-1 in the World Cup round of 16 on Sunday.
Giroud's 44th-minute strike at Al Thumama Stadium put him ahead of fellow former Arsenal and Les Bleus forward Thierry Henry for France.
Mbappe doubled the advantage for Didier Deschamps' men and added another before full-time to move two goals clear as the tournament's top scorer in Qatar.
Poland had earlier put up a fight against the reigning world champions and scored a last-kick consolation after Robert Lewandoski converted a retaken penalty.
A bright start from France was low on clear chances, though Giroud should have had his goal earlier but could not divert Ousmane Dembele's low cross from the right into the net.
Poland had opportunities of their own in the first half and were somehow denied in the 38th minute when Bartosz Bereszynski's cut-back from the left found Piotr Zielinski, who hit his shot straight at Hugo Lloris, before his follow-up was also blocked and then Jakub Kaminski saw his effort stopped by Raphael Varane.
Giroud had his moment just before the break when some neat passing around the box led to Mbappe playing a quick pass into the striker, who finished well past former Arsenal team-mate Wojciech Szczesny.
The 36-year-old had the ball in the net again just before the hour with a spectacular overhead kick, but the whistle had already gone for a foul on Szczesny.
Mbappe struck with 16 minutes remaining to ultimately seal the win, with nice work again from Giroud leading to Dembele finding Mbappe to the left of the penalty area, before the Paris Saint-Germain star curled the ball high past Szczesny into the near post.
The Golden Boot leader put the game beyond doubt in stoppage time, again receiving the ball to the left of the penalty area before placing it expertly into the top-right corner of the net.
Poland were awarded a last-minute penalty after a VAR check for handball against Dayot Upamecano, and despite seeing his first effort saved by Hugo Lloris, Lewandowski sent the goalkeeper the wrong way with his second attempt after Lloris was found to be off his line for the first.
England's bold declaration on the fourth day of their first Test with Pakistan shows how Ben Stokes and Brendon McCullum are "pioneers", says Paul Collingwood.
The captain and head coach's aggressive approach to red-ball cricket has been rewarded with rapid runs during their encounter in Rawalpindi, as they look to win in their first long-form visit since 2005.
Having bowled out their hosts for 579, to earn a first-innings lead of 78, a rampant 264-7 followed by an early declaration at tea set Pakistan an achievable 343 in pursuit.
England reduced their opponents to 80-2 at the close of play, heading into the last day, but their swing-for-the-fences approach continues to delight many, including assistant coach Collingwood.
"Sometimes I think it's crazy – crazy in a good way," Collingwood said. "I know I would never have come up with some of the ideas Ben and Baz [McCullum] come up with, but it's great to see. It's going against convention.
"When it comes off, it's genius. If it doesn't come off, so be it. The bigger picture of what Baz McCullum and Ben Stokes are doing is for Test cricket to be entertaining.
"It feels like they have been pioneers in the way they go about playing the game. You've got two guys willing to risk everything to make sure that this game survives.
"It's great to watch. If you play the game in the right way and put yourself in the right position to win the Test match, there's no shame in losing a cricket match.
"If Pakistan knock the runs off tomorrow, they deserve the win. It's very well-balanced. It's up to us to come out tomorrow with plenty of energy, and if we get a couple of early wickets, we're right ahead of the game."
Stokes, who succeeded Joe Root as skipper earlier this year, has forged a thrilling partnership with former New Zealand captain McCullum since he took the reins.
Their run rate of 6.73 per over in Rawalpindi is the fastest ever set by a Test team batting twice in a match.
Rohit Sharma bemoaned India's shortcomings with the bat after they suffered a stunning one-wicket defeat to Bangladesh in the first ODI of the series on Sunday.
Mehidy Hasan was the Tigers' hero, putting on 51 for the last wicket with Mustafizur Rahman to secure a highly unlikely victory at Sher-e-Bangla National Cricket Stadium.
India looked certain to take a 1-0 lead after taking five wickets for only eight runs, putting Bangladesh on the ropes at 136-9 in pursuit of 187 to win.
Mehidy came to the rescue, making an unbeaten 38 with support from Mustafizur (10 not out) to get his side home with four overs to spare, the pair defying the odds by combining for Bangladesh's second-highest 10th-wicket stand.
The tourists had also collapsed, slumping from 152-4 to 186 all out, KL Rahul sparing them huge embarrassment by making 73.
India captain Rohit warned they must learn to handle the pressure after a stunning end to the start of a three-match series.
The opening batter said: "We did not bat well. We bowled pretty well and kept them under pressure until the end. They held their nerves in the back end.
"If you look back at how we bowled, of course the last few overs, we would have liked to get a wicket. We kept taking wickets all through. It wasn't enough runs. Another 30-40 runs would have made a difference.
"With KL and Washy [Washington Sundar, who made 19], we could have got there. Unfortunately, we lost wickets in the middle, and it is not easy to come back. The pitch was a bit challenging, the odd ball was turning.
"You have to understand how to play. There are no excuses, we are used to such types of conditions. We need to look at how to bat against their spinners in these conditions. The genes are there, these guys grew up playing in such conditions.
"It is all about handling pressure. Once you do, it gives you confidence. It is important to learn how to handle those pressure situations. Hopefully, we change things around in the next game."
Olivier Giroud scores goals, and this is what he has done across his career.
On Sunday, Giroud proved his timeless finishing qualities again when he overtook the great Thierry Henry to become France's all-time record goalscorer.
His first-half strike against Poland made it 52 goals in the shirt of Les Bleus, writing himself into the history books as France continued their defence of the World Cup in Qatar.
It is not something that many would have predicted years ago, with Giroud respected to a point, but never really being mentioned in the same breath as some of France's other attacking talent.
Kylian Mbappe, Karim Benzema and even Antoine Griezmann often steal the headlines where the national team is concerned.
Giroud is considered to be a less glamorous name, which is quite the dichotomy considering there is a strong argument the Milan striker has the most impressive hair in world football.
The numbers do not lie, though, and the 36-year-old now stands alone atop the scoring charts for the world champions. Above Henry, Platini, Griezmann, Trezeguet, and so on.
After making a name for himself when leading Montpellier in their shock Ligue 1 title win in 2011-12, scoring 21 goals in 36 games, he made the move to Arsenal.
Giroud's time in the Premier League had ups and downs, but he still notched 105 goals for the Gunners in his five and a half seasons there, before moving across London to Chelsea and scoring another 39 in three and a half years at Stamford Bridge.
After heading to Serie A and Milan, there were still those left unconvinced by Giroud, though he has continued to score in Italy as he hit 11 in 29 league games in his debut season, helping the Rossoneri to win their first Scudetto since 2010-11.
He has another nine in 19 games in all competitions at club level this season, and has carried that form into the World Cup.
When the injured Benzema was confirmed to be out of Qatar 2022, there was panic among France fans as this year's Ballon d'Or winner would not be there to help them defend their title from Russia 2018.
However, Benzema also wasn't there in Russia. Giroud was.
His presence up front may not have brought Giroud any goals in that tournament, or even any shots on target – somewhat remarkably from 546 minutes on the pitch – but he more than played his part.
Giroud was a perfect foil for the teenage Mbappe, who thrived working off the big man's hold-up play, as did Griezmann as France went on to lift the World Cup for the second time, with Giroud creating seven chances from open play and recording one assist.
This time, though, Giroud seems more focused on being the main man in front of goal, and he is already putting himself in the discussion for the Golden Boot, with the record-breaking strike being his third in Qatar.
He may never be in the running for the Ballon d'Or, and is unlikely to be on many people's lists when selecting the all-time best French players.
But with the 52nd goal coming in his 117th game at international level, there is no denying that Giroud scores goals, and as of now, more than anyone else in France's history.
Olivier Giroud etched his name into the France history books as he became Les Bleus' all-time top scorer after netting against Poland at the World Cup.
The Milan striker equalled Thierry Henry's 51-goal record with a brace in a 4-1 win over Australia in his nation's World Cup opener, leaving him one shy of the outright benchmark.
That made Giroud, aged 36 years and 53 days, the second-oldest player to score a double at the World Cup, after Roger Milla, who did so in 1990 for Cameroon aged 38.
Giroud claimed the record outright with the opening goal in the round-of-16 clash against Poland, latching onto Kylian Mbappe's pass to fire Les Bleus ahead.
The former Chelsea and Arsenal striker would likely have not started for Didier Deschamps' side if it had not been for pre-tournament injuries to Karim Benzema and Christopher Nkunku.
Instead, Giroud and Kylian Mbappe have been tasked with carrying the attacking burden as France aim to defend their World Cup crown.
South Korea coach Paulo Bento hopes Neymar is fit to play his team in their World Cup last-16 clash with Brazil, even if he concedes it would better for them if he was absent.
The Taeguk Warriors caused something of a shock by reaching the first knockout round of the tournament at the expense of Uruguay, with South Korea scoring a dramatic winner against Portugal on matchday three.
Brazil await in the last 16 and there remains some doubt over the fitness of talisman Neymar, who injured his ankle in the Selecao's first match of the tournament.
Neymar's involvement will be determined in training on Sunday, and Bento hopes he is ultimately passed fit.
"It would be hypocritical if I said that it's better to play against Neymar than without him, but to be fair, I always prefer the best players to be on the field. If not, we hope it's not because of injury, that's for sure," he said.
"It will be up to the coach, Tite, to decide whether he's in the starting line-up if he's fit to play, and we'll design the best strategy to play against a great national team that is full of balance and adding more and more talented players."
Nevertheless, Bento clearly feels South Korea's chances of causing an upset have not been helped by FIFA.
The Portuguese coach vented his frustration at the governing body scheduling games just 72 hours apart, particularly given the emotional exhaustion from their turnaround against Portugal.
"Unfortunately, we don't have much time to train, because 72 hours is too little, I doubt any team can do that," he added.
"After physical tiredness, and the emotional fatigue, we let the players rest [on Saturday] and only trained this morning, and of course that's a burden for the team.
"We have an additional burden compared to Brazil because they changed their line-up in the last game.
"They did something we couldn't do in the last game and honestly speaking, I was watching the 2018 World Cup and after the group stage, I do not remember seeing games played after 72 hours. The spaces between games was longer.
"In my opinion it's not fair to play every 72 hours, it's something inhuman, it's something FIFA intends to create less conditions for those who already have less conditions, but we need to accept it if it's FIFA's decision.
"It's difficult to play very a great team such as Brazil, who in my opinion they are the favourites, and if we add this burden, our task will be very difficult."
But as irritated as Bento was by FIFA's decisions, he certainly is not worried about motivation.
"I'm a realist. I conveyed we have a tough task ahead of us, but we have to try," he said. "If they needed me to motivate them for a last-16 game at the World Cup, they'd be in a bad spot.
"What they showed already shows they are motivated. I get more motivation from them than they get from me."
SportsMax is the Caribbean sports channel of choice, committed to providing sporting content of the highest quality to the Caribbean, delivered by a team of highly innovative, passionate and qualified professionals.
(876) 619-7629
digitalmedia@sportsmax.tv
