Bond between Mbappé and Deschamps driving France while Mexico dare to dream

France’s 1998 World Cup triumph was built on a special bond between coach Aimé Jacquet and his on-field lieutenant, Didier Deschamps.

Twenty-eight years later, Deschamps the coach has built a strikingly similar relationship with Kylian Mbappé, trusting his captain to carry the entire squad with him as Les Bleus chase another World Cup.

When Mbappé opened the scoring in France’s 3-0 victory over Sweden in the last 32 on Tuesday, he sprinted straight to the touchline and into the arms of Deschamps, who had returned four days earlier after attending his mother’s funeral.

One by one, every France player followed, surrounding their coach in a spontaneous embrace that spoke volumes about the unity coursing through the squad.

At the heart of it all is Mbappé.

France’s captain has arrived at this World Cup on a mission. He has scored six goals and set up two more, but his influence stretches far beyond the scoresheet.

He has publicly defended teammate Ousmane Dembélé through difficult moments and repeatedly insisted that nothing matters more than lifting the trophy again.

The scars of Lusail in Qatar still burn deep.

Mbappé’s extraordinary hat-trick in the 2022 final against Argentina was not enough to prevent France surrendering their crown, a painful lesson that even one of the game’s greatest talents cannot conquer a World Cup alone.

Marksman supreme

Four years on, he is chasing the title not simply as France’s marksman supreme, but as the leader of a team he is determined to carry with him.

While he has been criticised for his supposed individualism at Real Madrid, even being portrayed as a dictator on social media, Mbappé has become a unifying figure for Les Bleus, urging Michael Olise to get his head back into the game after the playmaker wasted a golden chance in the second half, while also showing a growing willingness to shoulder defensive duties.

“Kylian knows how to defend. He scores goals too – more than anyone else. I told you from day one: he’s on a mission. Even if you don’t always hear me say it... Even in the fitness drills, he was finishing first,” Deschamps said.

“I said a long time ago that he has embraced his role as captain. The image people may have of him from the outside doesn’t always – in fact, only rarely – reflect who he really is.”

There appears to be no stopping Mbappé in the US, a country where he seems able to fully embrace his superstardom while keeping his feet on the ground.

Minutes after the game, the 27-year-old stopped only briefly to give his thoughts to a pitch-side interviewer.

“I’m fully aware of what’s at stake, where I am and what I have to do. The team knows what it has to do here as well. A new competition was starting. We played well today, even though we had a difficult start,” he said.

“The tribute to Didier Deschamps? That’s the DNA of this group. We’re all in this together. The coach has gone through something that, unfortunately, everyone experiences at some point in life. It’s incredibly difficult. He’ll never be alone with us. We’ll support him.”

Asked if he was already thinking about the last-16 clash with Paraguay, Mbappé quipped: “Paraguay? Right now my focus is on the air conditioning and the dressing room.”

Deschamps spoke for his players: “They’re on a mission, and I’m on a mission with them.”

Mexico dares to dream

Julián Quiñones did not grow up dreaming of scoring for Mexico, but he set his side on their way to a 2-o win over Ecuador at the Azteca Stadium.

The Colombian-born forward has been a key figure in Mexico’s run to the round of 16, as the co-hosts ended a 40-year wait for another knockout-stage victory at the tournament.

The last time Mexico won a World Cup knockout match was a 2-0 win over Bulgaria at the same venue in 1986, with fans having to suffer the agony of watching talented teams come up short in the group stage or the first knockout round.

As Quiñones drove Mexico forward on Tuesday, the chant that has followed the hosts through this tournament rolled around the stadium again: “Y si sí?” (roughly translated, “What if?”)

It is a question loaded with decades of hurt.

What if Mexico can go beyond the familiar ceiling? What if the fifth game is not the end point but the start of something bigger?

Quiñones has become the player Mexico looks to for the answers.

Born in Colombia but forged in Mexican football, he has made this World Cup feel personal.

Quiñones led the way against Ecuador, unleashing a thunderous finish into the top corner for his third goal of the tournament.

In the group stage, he scored in the opener against South Africa, helped stretch South Korea in a tense 1-0 win in Guadalajara, then struck again against the Czech Republic.

“We have more to do, work harder so people can be happier,” Quiñones said.

“I’m happy with the result. My individual success stems from all the teamwork, and I’m always happy to wear this jersey. All I feel is happiness for all the work we’re doing as a group; individual success is secondary.”

Fan connection

Mexico coach Javier Aguirre said it was the players’ connection with the fans that was driving their push to succeed at the World Cup, after the co-hosts qualified for the round of 16 on Tuesday.

The win over Ecuador at the Azteca Stadium was their fourth straight victory without a goal conceded at the tournament.

“This connection we have with the fans is a driving force,” Aguirre said at a press conference.

On Tuesday night, the Azteca was once again overflowing, with just more than 80,000 fans cheering on their team from start to finish and booing every time the opposing team touched the ball.

“I’ve had some great victories, but none like today’s, because it’s at home, with your own people,” added Aguirre, who managed Mexico at the 2002 and 2010 World Cups.

On Sunday, Mexico will play in the round of 16 again at home in Mexico City against the winner of the match between England and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

Aguirre (67) praised the Ecuadorean team, who finished second in the South American qualifiers with only two losses in 18 matches.

“It is not easy to beat Ecuador,” he said.

Aguirre was happy with Mexico’s performance, his only gripe being that they were unable to score more goals on the counterattack to kill off the game. Reuters/DM