Didier Deschamps was quizzed on whether Karim Benzema could make a sensational France return for the World Cup final against Argentina.

Benzema was ruled out of the tournament in Qatar due to a thigh injury, but it has been reported that he could feature for the holders when they attempt to retain their crown on Sunday.

Les Bleus beat Morocco 2-0 on Wednesday to set up a showdown with La Albiceleste at Lusail Stadium this weekend.

France head coach Deschamps refused to say whether Ballon d'Or winner Benzema may play a part in the final after returning to training with Real Madrid.

He said after a lengthy pause: "I don't really want to answer that question. Next question. I do apologise."

Benzema has made only 12 appearances for Madrid this season due to injury.

Goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani put France in another World Cup final.

 

France midfielder Aurelien Tchouameni is not fazed about juggling the responsibilities usually reserved for injured stalwarts Paul Pogba and N'Golo Kante after helping Les Bleus to the World Cup final.

Didier Deschamps' side beat Morocco 2-0 at Al Bayt Stadium on Wednesday to secure their spot in Sunday's showpiece against Argentina.

It ensured France became the first nation to reach back-to-back World Cup finals since Brazil in 2002 as they – somewhat unconvincingly – managed to end Morocco's fairytale run.

The build-up to France's World Cup defence was dominated by talk of the so-called 'holders' curse' given each of the previous three defending champions had been eliminated at the group stage.

Pre-tournament confidence was also dented by injuries to several key players, with Karim Benzema, Pogba and Kante all missing out.

Yet on Sunday, they could become the first European country to win successive World Cups since Italy in 1938, with Tchouameni playing an important part in a new-look midfield.

 

Asked whether the Pogba or Kante role suits him best, he replied: "It's both!

"Sometimes it's [my job] to recover some balls like today, and sometimes I have the opportunities to score a goal, like the last game.

"Or today when I had the almost-assists for Kylian [Mbappe] and Olivier [Giroud]. It's a mix between those two [Pogba and Kante]."

He added: "[Pogba and Kante] are great players for us.

"Unfortunately they're not here because they're injured, so we try to do our best to help the team in the middle of the pitch, and I think we do a great job."

Tchouameni's influence was highlighted by the fact his 65 touches were the joint-highest in the France team, while only Antoine Griezmann (four) played more key passes than his two.

Although his 83 per cent passing accuracy suggests a degree of wastefulness, the Real Madrid talent showed purpose in terms of ball progression, with his eight passes in the final third only behind Kylian Mbappe and Youssouf Fofana (both nine). A riskier approach is always likely to result in less accurate distribution.

Nevertheless, he did not neglect his defensive responsibilities, tallying the second-most interceptions (four) on the pitch (Ibrahima Konate – six) and joint-highest number of recoveries (10).

Alongside Fofana, Tchouameni was part of a particularly inexperienced midfield pairing, but Deschamps believes both have proven they belong at this level.

"Experience isn't everything, they have great qualities and play with top clubs," the coach told reporters.

"They may not have much experience at the international level, but they are good enough to play at this level.

 

"They have tremendous potential, tremendous quality – and they are supported by the experienced players around them.

"All of the players struggled against Tunisia – Fofana had a bad game, if I'm honest with you – but he showed today, in a World Cup semi-final, that he has learned from that experience.

"Tchouameni played for us at a very young age and went to Madrid where he's slotted straight in.

"Of course, there's room for improvement, but he has all the strength to succeed at this level. I had no doubt about playing both of them in there, though, as they had experienced players around them."

Didier Deschamps insisted he and his future are "not the most important thing" as he vowed to make France "even happier" after Sunday's World Cup final against Argentina.

The reigning world champions produced another ruthless performance to down Morocco 2-0 after goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani in Wednesday's semi-final clash at Al Bayt Stadium.

Argentina await as France bid to become just the third side to retain their global crown, with the Lusail Stadium showpiece signalling a likely end for Albiceleste captain Lionel Messi and potentially also for Bleus coach Deschamps.

Zinedine Zidane has long been suggested as the successor to Deschamps, whose contract expires after the tournament, but the focus remains for now on success in Qatar.

"I'm always proud when we achieve a result like this. It is great to have got through to the final on Sunday," Deschamps said at a post-match press conference. 

"It wasn't an easy victory, we showed our quality, experience and team spirit. We had to dig deep even in the challenging moments in the match. As a coach, I'm very proud and pleased with my players.

"I don't really think about myself, but I can appreciate the fact we have had this success. As for my achievements, I'm not the most important thing here.

"The team is more important than I am. We have the chance of defending our title in the final, so that is a great achievement already.

"But we are going to do everything we can to ensure we, as a team and for our nation, are even happier on Sunday."

France and Argentina played out a seven-goal thriller at Russia 2018 as Deschamps' side edged their opponents 4-3 to reach the quarter-finals following Kylian Mbappe's brace.

Both finalists have been far from their best at times in Qatar, with France losing to Tunisia and battling past England in the quarter-finals, while Argentina fell to a shock group-stage defeat to Saudi Arabia.

Deschamps believes the clash for the biggest prize in the sport will come down to the finest of margins, with both sides facing "a better team than any they have played in the tournament".

"It is always a battle out there, we saw a very strong Argentina against Croatia, but they had not always been as strong," he continued.

"We weren't perfect against England or against Morocco. We could have played better. In a final against Argentina, both teams are playing a better team than they have played in the tournament so far. 

"We have two sides with a great deal of quality. The team who makes fewer mistakes will likely win the game; whoever manages to do that will lift the trophy."

Playing Lionel Messi in the World Cup final is a "totally different proposition", according to France's Antoine Griezmann after his team secured their place in Sunday's showpiece match.

France ended Morocco's fairytale run with a 2-0 semi-final victory as goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani sent Les Bleus through to a second consecutive World Cup final.

Didier Deschamps' side could become the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain international football's top prize, having lifted the trophy in Russia in 2018.

But standing in their way is Messi's Argentina, who cruised past Croatia on Tuesday to clinch their spot in a sixth World Cup final, with only Germany having been in the tournament's deciding match on more occasions.

Messi has broken record after record in Qatar, surpassing Gabriel Batistuta as Argentina's top World Cup goalscorer while he is set to become the tournament's highest all-time appearance holder if he plays on Sunday.

With the final against France likely representing the last opportunity for Messi to finally get his hands on the World Cup trophy, Griezmann acknowledged it will be a tough task to slow down La Albiceleste.

"Any team with Messi in is a totally different proposition," Griezmann told reporters at his post-match news conference.

"All of the matches we have seen Argentina play, we know how they play - they are difficult.

"They seem to be on top form, there isn’t only Messi - they have a strong side around him.

"We know it is going to be a tough game and they are going to have the support of the crowd.

"We will get back to working tomorrow and see how we can hurt them, we will be well prepared."

France and Argentina played out a seven-goal thriller at the 2018 World Cup, with Les Bleus' 4-3 triumph sending them on to eventual glory.

Messi failed to get on the scoresheet in that encounter, but Deschamps is fully aware of the threat the Paris Saint-Germain forward will pose on Sunday at Lusail Stadium.

"Lionel Messi has been in scintillating form since the beginning of the tournament," Deschamps said. "Four years ago, things were different of course.

"He actually played as a centre-forward against us then, which caught us by surprise. Now he is playing in a tandem just behind the centre-forward.

"He is picking up the ball, running with it and looking in great form. He is one of the best players in the world and he has shown that.

"We are going to try and counter Messi’s threat and try to stop him influencing the game. Of course, Argentina are going to do the same to my players and they are a different side to the one we faced four years ago."

France set up a World Cup final against Argentina after goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani secured a 2-0 win over Morocco on Wednesday.

Didier Deschamps' side became the first defending champions since Brazil in 1998 to return to the final at the next edition with another efficient performance at Al Bayt Stadium.

Hernandez struck as France raced into a fifth-minute lead against Africa's first World Cup semi-finalists, although Morocco were in the ascendancy for large parts.

That pressure brought no reward, and substitute Kolo Muani's 79th-minute second ensured France's bid to become just the third side to retain their global crown continued into Sunday's final against Argentina.

Hernandez fired France into an early lead after Kylian Mbappe twice saw efforts blocked, the second deflection falling to the left-back to expertly finish at the back post.

Olivier Giroud smashed a left-footed strike against Yassine Bounou's right post before whipping wide from a glorious opportunity after Jawad El Yamiq denied Mbappe with a last-ditch clearance.

El Yamiq almost levelled with a sensational overhead kick from Hakim Ziyech's corner on the stroke of half-time, only to be denied by a stretching Hugo Lloris and his right post.

Raphael Varane produced a vital intervention to thwart Youssef En-Nesyri after the interval as Deschamps' men were pinned back, before France sealed victory with 11 minutes remaining.

A deflected Mbappe strike rolled into the path for Kolo Muani, just off the bench, to tap in at the far post as Morocco's fairytale run came to an end.

What does it mean? Les Bleus on brink of rare feat

France narrowly edged past England in an enthralling quarter-final and were again ruthless against Morocco, recording their fourth straight World Cup semi-final victory (also in 1998, 2006 and 2018).

Walid Regraguis's Morocco had defeated Belgium, Spain and Portugal en route to the last four after resolute defensive performances, but France proved too great a hurdle.

The final test for Les Bleus awaits in the form of Lionel Messi and Argentina as they aim to join Italy (1938) and Brazil (1962) as the only sides to successfully retain their crown.

Heroic Hernandez

Hernandez's opener, timed at four minutes and 39 seconds, was the fastest World Cup semi-final goal since 1958 when Vava struck for Brazil against France.

The Milan defender, scrutinised after the England game and still largely without help from Mbappe, was also tasked with managing the energetic Ziyech and impressed by winning seven of his eight duels and gaining possession from each of his four tackles.

Injuries haunt defiant Morocco

Nayef Aguerd, Roman Saiss and Noussair Mazraoui were all injury doubts heading into this clash. All were initially named in the XI, but Aguerd did not appear, Saiss bowed out before half-time and Mazraoui was replaced at the break.

A fitness gamble by Regragui did not pay off, with Mazraoui winning just one of his six duels before his half-time removal and Saiss' injury almost costing Morocco as Giroud broke away to strike the post in the first half.

What's next?

France will meet Argentina at Lusail Stadium in four days' time, while Morocco face Croatia in a third-place play-off on Saturday at Khalifa International Stadium.

France's build-up to the World Cup was dominated by talk of the so-called "holders' curse" and Didier Deschamps' uncertain future.

A few weeks later Les Bleus are on the verge of becoming the first reigning champions to reach the final since Brazil in 1998 – you have to go back another 50 years to the last time a European nation achieved such a feat when Italy did so in 1938.

Deschamps' preparations were not helped by injuries to important players, but France's ruthlessness going forward has inspired another deep run into the tournament after seeing off England in the quarter-finals despite arguably being second best.

France go into Wednesday's semi-final at Al Bayt Stadium against Morocco as overwhelming favourites.

It will be the defending champions' seventh World Cup semi-final. After losing their first three, each one they have contested since - in 1998, 2006 and 2018 - has ended in French celebrations.

Given the previous three holders before France crashed out in the group stage (Italy in 2010, Spain in 2014 and Germany in 2018), Deschamps is pleased to have avoided humiliation – but they still have ambitions to satisfy.

"We've got to the semis, closer to the final, and this was an important achievement, so we can believe in ourselves, but we have a big game on Wednesday," he said.

"We can be satisfied with what we've done so far, even though we want to go further. In the past, the world champions haven't always done well in World Cups and we've overcome that challenge, but we have an important game on Wednesday."

While France have the weight of big expectations on their shoulders, Morocco will be fearless after seeing off both Spain and Portugal en route to becoming Africa's first World Cup semi-finalists.

Deschamps is wary of the threat posed by the Atlas Lions.

"It's fantastic what [coach Walid Regragui] has achieved," he added. "Morocco have played and beaten some of the best teams in the world, and that's down to the players, the coach, the staff.

"It's a historic achievement. It's not a surprise now because we've seen them put in a number of top performances. They haven't stolen the victories; they've deserved them."

Regragui has been lauded for Morocco's run, partly because his leadership qualities are underpinned by an articulate and wise demeanour.

Under his guidance, Morocco have extended their World Cup unbeaten run to six matches, a record for an African nation.

Throughout the tournament, Regragui has spoken of his desire to unite the Arab world; now he is relishing Morocco's chance to represent Africa.

"We advanced with our qualities. We lost a lot of players before the World Cup. We lost Amine [Harit], [Imran] Louza, [Adam] Masina… but we held on," he said.

"We created a state of mind. You have to fight for these people, to make them happy.

"Today, Africa has returned to centre stage. Each time, [African teams] were asked: 'when are you going to pass the [quarter-final] stage?' It's done.

"It's not just me. And it's not over."

PLAYERS TO WATCH

France – Antoine Griezmann

With Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud hogging most of the headlines for France, Griezmann has made a big impact and Morocco must find a way of keeping him quiet.

 

The Atletico Madrid man has performed a vital playmaking role for Les Bleus and set up both goals in their quarter-final win over England, taking his goal-involvement tally to eight in his past eight World Cup starts.

Morocco – Sofyan Amrabat

Once again, Morocco are unlikely to have most of the ball, so the combativeness of players like Azzedine Ounahi and Amrabat in midfield could be key, particularly with Griezmann so influential in his new midfield position.

Ounahi probably trumps Amrabat in the elegance stakes, but the latter's eight successful tackles is the fourth-highest among midfielders at the World Cup, while his tournament-leading 41 recoveries demonstrates the Fiorentina star's fine understanding of how to read the game. He's a big asset.

 

PREDICTION

It won't come as a huge shock to learn Les Bleus are the clear favourites with Stats Perform's AI model.

Deschamps' men have a 64.3 per cent chance of winning, the supercomputer reckons.

Morocco, of course, already defied the odds to get this far, though their 13 per cent likelihood of victory is reduction from 18.8 per cent ahead of the Portugal game.

The draw is rated at 22.7 per cent, and the Atlas Lions would presumably take that in a heartbeat.

France coach Didier Deschamps saluted Antoine Griezmann for playing a starring role in Les Bleus' run to the World Cup semi-finals after coming through "challenging times".

Deschamps' side take on Morocco in the second semi on Wednesday, with France aiming to become the first European nation to reach successive World Cup finals since Italy in 1938.

While Kylian Mbappe and Olivier Giroud have grabbed the headlines, Griezmann has been similarly key to the holders' progress despite being used in a new position, essentially in midfield.

The Atletico Madrid player has created more chances (17) and recorded more expected assists (2.9) than anyone else at the tournament, while his two assists against England in the quarter-finals took him to three for the campaign – no one has more.

 

Further to that, his 28 involvements in shot-ending open-play sequences is second only to Mbappe (40) in the France squad, highlighting his influence in their build-up play.

After several difficult years with Barcelona and back at Atletico, Griezmann's form has surprised some, but not Deschamps.

"Yes, he's had a great tournament, but we'll need him to be just as good [on Wednesday]," Deschamps told reporters in Tuesday's pre-match press conference.

"He's the type of player who can really change a team because he's so hard-working and so technically gifted. He's playing slightly different role in this World Cup, but it suits him well.

"He likes defending just as much as attacking and being a playmaker. Of course, his main responsibility isn't ball winning; his left foot is so wonderful, he creates chances for others.

"He's someone who always thinks of the team above everything else. He's extremely hard-working, probably more so than most players.

"He's been an elite player for 10 years now. Of course, he's gone through challenging times like any player, but he's mentally very strong. Like all world-class players, he's at his best in the most important games."

 

Dayot Upamecano is another France player impressing in Qatar after having to overcome certain struggles.

Although a regular at Bundesliga level from the age of 18, Upamecano did not win his first senior cap until just before he turned 22.

Then, last year he found himself back with the Under-21s instead of in Deschamps' squad for Euro 2020 as he paid the price for some unconvincing early appearances with Les Bleus.

However, he has started all but one of France's World Cup games, with Deschamps pleased to see he has moved past some psychological barriers that were previously stunting his progress.

"Dayot did have an issue with his mental strength, which I think prevented him from being the top player we knew he could become," the coach added.

"He's managed to overcome those challenges, he feels more relaxed, more confident. I do think that's what helped him reach his best level and show the qualities he has.

"He's very fit, good in tackling, good at passing. Sometimes he tries to overdo things a bit with his passing, is too ambitious, but he listens to advice, he's open-minded, relaxed, happy.

"Some players can be introverted in nature like him, and so maybe they need more time to develop and flourish.

"But I'm quite convinced when a player has potential that it will end up flourishing even if sometimes I must recognise there are other players in the squad who can also be very strong and have their role to play.

"So yes, he's been through challenging times, but he's now relaxed, more confident and showing he's a top player."

Didier Deschamps will decide whether he remains France head coach after Qatar 2022, according to French Football Federation president Noel Le Graet.

Deschamps took over as France boss in 2012 and has since led Les Bleus to a World Cup title as well as the Euro 2016 final, having previously won 103 caps during his playing career.

His France team beat England on Saturday to reach the World Cup semi-finals in Qatar, keeping alive their hopes of becoming the first team since Brazil in 1962 to retain the trophy.

Deschamps' contract is due to expire after the tournament, with rumours persisting that former Real Madrid head coach Zinedine Zidane could be in line to take over the role.

However, Le Graet is hopeful Deschamps will choose to remain at the helm.

"We are lucky to have a good coach [Deschamps], good technical staff," Le Graet told L'Equipe. "The players need to be reassured, we really have a team of high quality managers around them.

"Didier Deschamps has not lost his touch. He exudes happiness, the players too, it shows.

"The question of extending is totally up to him. Finding a coach of this quality is not easy. It is he who decides, I hope he will say yes.

"But it still deserves, especially on his part, a reflection."

Didier Deschamps felt the "small details and a bit of luck" went France's way as they edged past England 2-1 to secure a place in the World Cup semi-finals.

Olivier Giroud grabbed what turned out to be the winner with 12 minutes to go with England captain Harry Kane missing a second penalty of the night shortly after. His first was successful, cancelling out Aurelien Tchouameni's opener.

Deschamps, whose side now face surprise package Morocco in Wednesday's second last-four clash, was relieved to have squeezed through.

He said: "England have a very good team and what they showed in terms of technical ability and intensity, even though we put up a good fight, was impressive.

"Credit to my team as well, we also showed some very good things. We have great quality and we also have impressive mental strength. We have experience but so do England, they have some young players but they are players that play for the top clubs in Europe.

"We could see they were a good team at the outset of the tournament and it comes down to small details and luckily tonight it went our way. You need a bit of luck sometimes."

Vive la France

Into the #FIFAWorldCup semi-finals!#Qatar2022

— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 10, 2022
England were the better team for long periods at Al Bayt Stadium and Deschamps preferred to focus on the strengths of France's opponents than criticise his own team for some of their failings.

"They have quality in all areas of the pitch," he added. "There were certain things we could have done better but maybe it's because they didn't let us do them well.

"We still scored two goals and created several opportunities. We deserved it but the other team were very strong."

Deschamps' contract is due to expire at the end of the tournament but the president of the French Football Federation, Noel Le Great, has expressed hope that he will continue.

Deschamps refused to go into any great detail regarding his future but did not commit to remaining at the helm of Les Bleus.

"I will be the coach for the semi-final and then we will see," he said. "We will tackle that problem when it arises. It's great that the president is happy, I am sure there are a lot of people that are happy tonight.

"Just four years after our last victory at the World Cup we are in the last four. Let's focus on Wednesday, I am not thinking about anything else at the minute."

Gareth Southgate has named an unchanged England team to take on France in Saturday's World Cup quarter-final, resisting the urge to change system to combat the threat of Kylian Mbappe.

Neither England nor France showed any changes from their last-16 wins over Senegal and Poland respectively.

For Didier Deschamps' world champions, there was no surprise, but there had been debate around the potential for Southgate to revert to the back five used previously against top teams.

Having gone with a four-man defence throughout England's run to the last eight, though, Southgate kept faith with that set-up.

There had been a great deal of focus on Kyle Walker's role up against Mbappe at right-back, and both men were included from the start.

The reward for the victors at Al Bayt Stadium would be a clash against surprise semi-finalists Morocco, who defeated Portugal earlier on Saturday to become the first African or Arab side to make the last four of a World Cup.

France captain Hugo Lloris reckons England are poised to win a major tournament, though he will do everything in his power to ensure that does not happen in Qatar.

England face France in a World Cup quarter-final on Saturday at Al Bayt Stadium.

It will be the third World Cup meeting between the Three Lions and Les Bleus, with the England winning both of the previous two, a 2-0 victory in 1966 and 3-1 in 1982.

World champions France have only lost one of their past eight meetings with England, suffering a 2-0 defeat in a friendly in November 2015. 

With England having reached the semi-finals in Russia and then the final of Euro 2020 last year, Tottenham goalkeeper Lloris, who will be tasked with keeping out an attack that has scored 12 goals in four games in Qatar, knows they must be treated as a major contender.

"To be honest, if we compare both sides there were more English players In Russia than French players," Lloris said in a press conference when asked if France's triumph in Russia gave them the edge.

"If you look at the England squad there were finalists and runners-up at the Euros and a real progression.

"Their team is mature and ready to compete and go for trophies. They were unlucky at the Euros, they came very close.

"For our side there has been a lot of changes, a new generation that are ready to compete, they play in the best teams in Europe, but we have a good mixture of experience and younger players.

"We try to become stronger step by step and we have to be ready to challenge England. It's going to be a big battle."

Didier Deschamps was also complimentary of France's opponents and believes Gareth Southgate is unfairly maligned by some sections of the British media.

"They don't have any," Deschamps replied when asked what weaknesses England have that France could exploit.

"You talk about the British media but you [the French press] also ask tough questions of the team sometimes. All teams have strengths, not many of them have too many weaknesses, just some slightly less strong points.

"I very much like Gareth, we've met on a number of occasions, talked about a number of things. It seems not everyone appreciates him so much in his own country.

"That’s not because he's not a good footballer, he had a distinguished career, and he's also a very good coach. He's enabled England to get some very good results, I very much like him."

France are not overly dependent on Kylian Mbappe, according to head coach Didier Deschamps.

Mbappe has been in sparkling form at the Qatar World Cup and is the top scorer in the competition with five goals from four appearances.

The 23-year-old's double in the last-16 win over Poland has taken his tally of World Cup goals to nine, as many as Lionel Messi and more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

World champions France are unbeaten in the 13 games Mbappe has started in major competitions – outside of penalty shoot-outs – and will be hoping that record continues against England at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

Deschamps dismissed the idea France rely too heavily on the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has now scored 250 goals for club and country.

"I'm sure England will have prepared to face Kylian as our previous opponents did, but he's in a position to make the difference," Deschamps said in a press conference.

"Even in the last match, he didn't show his top form, but he was still decisive.

"We have other players that can be dangerous as well, so that helps us not be over-dependent on Kylian.

"But Kylian is Kylian, and he has that capacity to make the difference in any moment."

A major talking point in the build-up to the game has been the match-up between Mbappe and England right-back Kyle Walker, who could play either in a back four or a back five in order to combat the France forward's threat.

France captain Hugo Lloris played with Walker at Tottenham and said Mbappe is putting the talk to one side.

"I think Kylian is preparing very well. Trying to ignore a lot of the talk about him, it's really not something he needs," he said.

"He's very focused on his objectives, individually and collectively. He seems very happy, playing with a smile on his face and seems very focused on the match ahead of us.

"That's how he's looked from the beginning of this tournament."

While the focus will be on Mbappe at one end of the pitch, England captain Harry Kane – who won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 – could be decisive at the other, having scored his first goal of the tournament in the Three Lions' 3-0 defeat of Senegal in the round of 16.

"I only have positive things to say about Harry, he's very important for the team, club and for England as well," Lloris said of his Spurs team-mate.

"A real leader, an example for his team-mates, and he's a top player. 

"Harry's someone who is known all over the world – not sure I can add too much to what is known. Our focus will be on representing our countries."

France head coach Didier Deschamps suggested talking about the death of a World Cup migrant worker during the tournament is "disrespectful" to the deceased's family.

A report in The Athletic on Wednesday claimed a Filipino man thought to be in his early 40s died while working at the base of the Saudi Arabia team during the group stage.

Qatar 2022 CEO Nasser Al Khater extraordinarily responded to the news a day later by saying "death is a natural part of life" as he was left irritated by the topic being brought up during "a successful World Cup".

It was seen as particularly noteworthy in the media due to the broader context of worker deaths in the lead up to the World Cup.

Amnesty International in 2021 published a report citing official Qatari data in which the organisation claimed 15,021 migrants died in the country "in the past 10 years". There was no suggestion all were connected to the World Cup.

Such reports helped to shine a light on the conditions of migrant workers in Qatar, and some of the teams involved in the World Cup have been forthright on the matter, with England's Football Association applying pressure on FIFA on the eve of the tournament regarding the rights of labourers.

But Deschamps was uncomfortable with the subject being broached in his pre-match press conference ahead of France's quarter-final against England on Saturday, adamant players do not have the influence to help fix problems outside of the sport.

"Well, it's always a sensitive topic, it's not something I want to talk about at length. I just learned about [the latest death] and want to express my sincere condolences to the family," he said.

"It might be a priority for [the media], but my priority is the match; we're in a tournament. That doesn't mean we are insensitive to what goes on outside football, but we shouldn't mix everything up.

"The French players took certain decisions. What else would you like me to say? You asked a question but knew what I was going to reply.

"I'm not trying to avoid the question. I'm here with my team, we're footballers and here for a football tournament.

"Footballers unfortunately are not in a position to resolve problems outside football. This is more than a problem, it's someone who's lost their life.

"Maybe you think talking about this is respectful, but talking about him is not going to help. I think for his family, the pain and suffering they're going through, this could be disrespectful, too."

France are not overly dependent on Kylian Mbappe, according to head coach Didier Deschamps.

Mbappe has been in sparkling form at the Qatar World Cup and is the top scorer in the competition with five goals from four appearances.

The 23-year-old's double in the last-16 win over Poland has taken his tally of World Cup goals to nine, as many as Lionel Messi and more than Cristiano Ronaldo.

World champions France are unbeaten in the 13 games Mbappe has started in major competitions – outside of penalty shoot-outs – and will be hoping that record continues against England at Al Bayt Stadium on Saturday, with a place in the semi-finals up for grabs.

Deschamps dismissed the idea France rely too heavily on the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who has now scored 250 goals for club and country.

"I'm sure England will have prepared to face Kylian as our previous opponents did, but he's in a position to make the difference," Deschamps said in a press conference.

"Even in the last match, he didn't show his top form, but he was still decisive.

"We have other players that can be dangerous as well, so that helps us not be over-dependent on Kylian.

"But Kylian is Kylian, and he has that capacity to make the difference in any moment."

A major talking point in the build-up to the game has been the match-up between Mbappe and England right-back Kyle Walker, who could play either in a back four or a back five in order to combat the France forward's threat.

France captain Hugo Lloris played with Walker at Tottenham and said Mbappe is putting the talk to one side.

"I think Kylian is preparing very well. Trying to ignore a lot of the talk about him, it's really not something he needs," he said.

"He's very focused on his objectives, individually and collectively. He seems very happy, playing with a smile on his face and seems very focused on the match ahead of us.

"That's how he's looked from the beginning of this tournament."

While the focus will be on Mbappe at one end of the pitch, England captain Harry Kane – who won the Golden Boot at Russia 2018 – could be decisive at the other, having scored his first goal of the tournament in the Three Lions' 3-0 defeat of Senegal in the round of 16.

"I only have positive things to say about Harry, he's very important for the team, club and for England as well," Lloris said of his Spurs team-mate.

"A real leader, an example for his team-mates, and he's a top player. 

"Harry's someone who is known all over the world – not sure I can add too much to what is known. Our focus will be on representing our countries."

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."

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