France's Kone plays down pressure on Mbappe, backs him to deliver again at World Cup

VANCOUVER, June 13 : France midfielder Manu Kone dismissed talk of pressure on captain Kylian Mbappe as they prepare to open their World Cup campaign against Senegal on Tuesday, backing the forward's proven record on the biggest stage.

Mbappe, 27, became the first player since 1966 to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final at the 2022 tournament in Qatar, though Argentina's triumph on penalties consigned France to a runners-up finish.

He was in prolific form last season, scoring 42 goals and registering seven assists in 44 matches across all competitions for Real Madrid, but missed out on major silverware.

"More pressure? I don't think so," Kone told reporters on Saturday.

"He's a truly great player who has always risen to the occasion, whether for the national team or his club. We know he's always stepped up at the World Cup. He wants to win it. He's our captain, and he'll do great things. No doubt about it."

France boast formidable attacking depth, with Mbappe joined by Ballon d'Or winner Ousmane Dembele, Michael Olise and Desire Doue among others.

Midfielder Warren Zaire-Emery pointed to the wealth of talent within the squad.

"Dembele has the freedom to do pretty much whatever he wants - to cut out wide, push forward, and so on. He's a player with exceptional qualities. He can do it all: pass, dribble, score," the 20-year-old said.

"When you have players like Dembele, like Olise, like Kylian, Marcus Thuram... they just have exceptional qualities. We need to take advantage of that and make sure everything works well together to have the best team possible."

Zaire-Emery scored three goals and registered five assists in 54 appearances for Paris St Germain last season, as competition for places remains intense in a squad packed with quality at both club and international level.

"When you're not playing as much and your confidence is low, it's always tough," Zaire-Emery added.

"When there's a World Cup at the end of the season, it's a goal for every French player. If I don't believe in it, no one else will believe in it for me.

"When I wasn't called up (for the first training camp), I took the opportunity to clear my head. I think it worked well, and today I'm here."

France, who won the title in 1998 and 2018, are in Group I alongside Senegal, Iraq and Norway.