Boston [US], July 10 (ANI): France captain Kylian Mbappe hailed the current France team as 'the one with the most potential' but also admitted that its 'not the strongest yet' after he helped it register a 2-0 win over Morocco in the FIFA World Cup 2026 quarter-final clash on Thursday (local) time to set up a semifinal clash with either Belgium or Spain on July 14, as per the French news outlet L'Equipe.

After a goalless first half in the quarter-final encounter, Mbappe broke the deadlock in the 60th minute, putting France ahead with the opening goal. Ousmane Dembele later doubled the advantage to secure a 2-0 victory and send Les Bleus into the semi-finals. The result ended Morocco's impressive run after another historic World Cup campaign, while France moved one step closer to the title.

Speaking after the win, Mbappe said the current France team has the most potential and the quality to achieve great things, but he does not consider it the strongest yet, as it has not won the World Cup yet. He added that the best teams are ultimately defined by the titles they win.

'I don't know if it's the strongest. I was a world champion and a world runner-up, and this team hasn't achieved that yet. However, it's undoubtedly the one with the most potential. The one we can envision a future with. There's a lot of quality in this team; it allows us to dream. But, until proven otherwise, it hasn't won anything yet. I've always said that the strongest teams are the ones that win trophies. That's not the case for this one yet, so no, it's not the strongest,' Mbappe said as quoted by L'Equipe.

Mbappe, who experienced the World Cup win in 2018, a loss to Argentina in the 2022 final, and now another semifinal, said reaching a third World Cup semi-final is a special moment for France, especially for the experienced players. He added that he has no preference between Spain and Belgium as their potential opponents and is focused on recovery before the next challenge.

'It's always a great moment. It's an important step for the team, and for the more experienced players, it's their third semi-final. Right now, I don't have a preference for our next opponent, Spain or Belgium. I'm mainly focused on recovering. We'll watch the match tomorrow. And whatever happens, it will be a chance for redemption for someone,' he said.

Mbappe said the France team has the potential to make history but stressed that talent alone is not enough. He added that the squad must prove itself on the pitch, despite having confidence in its ability.

'We're aware of this team's potential. But potential alone doesn't win matches. Fear or apprehension don't score goals either. You have to prove it on the pitch. We have confidence in ourselves, but we still have a lot to prove if we want to be considered a nearly invincible team,' he said.

In the quarter-final clash against Morocco, Mbappe missed a penalty opportunity, with both teams heading into the half-time break locked at 0-0. He admitted that he failed to handle the penalty situation well, saying the VAR confusion distracted him, saying, 'I didn't take it well. It's complicated because there was a lot of confusion with the VAR review. I made the transition with Ousmane, who passed me the ball. Then he told me there might not be a penalty and that we had to wait for the decision. I let myself get distracted. I'd imagined many scenarios to stay focused before taking a penalty, but never this one. I'll have to adapt.'

Although Mbappe missed a penalty in the first half, the France captain continued his outstanding FIFA World Cup 2026 campaign by opening the scoring in the 60th minute during the quarter-final clash against Morocco in Boston. Ousmane Dembele later extended France's lead, sealing a 2-0 win and booking Les Bleus' place in the semi-finals.

Notably, Mbappe also became the youngest player to reach 20 FIFA World Cup appearances and the fastest to score 20 goals in the tournament's history. The milestone further highlighted his remarkable World Cup record, with the France captain taking his overall tally to 20 goals across the 2018, 2022, and 2026 editions, leaving him just one goal behind Lionel Messi's all-time World Cup scoring record of 21.

This was Mbappe's eighth goal of the ongoing edition. Mbappe's eighth goal of the 2026 World Cup also saw him join Argentina's Messi at the top of the Golden Boot race.

Mbappe has scored the winning goal in eight FIFA World Cup matches, now the outright most of any player in history, as per OptaJoe.

Mbappe also became the first player in France's history to be directly involved in 100 international goals, achieving the milestone with 64 goals and 36 assists for Les Bleus. (ANI)