Quick hits: Mbappé's banger and Bielsa's bow

Kylian Mbappé scored a magical goal that thrust him back into the World Cup spotlight, while master coach Marcelo Bielsa did everything he could to avoid it.

Meanwhile, French journalists leave an empty space for an incarcerated colleague, Jesus gets a Mexican kit makeover and Cabo Verde's defensive hero keeps his kit on his back.

Here are today's quick hits from the World Cup.

1. 'I'm not a model'

Marcelo Bielsa is known for many things.

Master tactician? Trailblazer? Eccentric? Spy? One of the most influential coaches of the 21st century? Absolutely.

But he's definitely not a model.

The 70-year-old Uruguay coach is one of the all-time greats, with his tactical style an inspiration to none other than Pep Guardiola, Mauricio Pochettino, Diego Simeone and Andoni Iraola to name but four and a hero to Leeds United fans after leading the side back to the Premier League in 2020.

His erratic personality and habits have given him the affectionate nickname, El Loco (the madman).

But, while coaching in his third World Cup with his third different nation, the 70-year-old made it very clear that he has no time for FIFA's pre-tournament publicity requirements.

In his pre-tournament photo, he is shown standing with his hands in his pockets, looking straight down at the floor, flat out refusing to engage.

Why?

"I'm not a model," he said after his side's 1-1 draw with Saudi Arabia.

"I don't have to give any explanation, the picture was taken the way it was taken.

"Should I also explain why I don't look to the people who are speaking to me at this moment?

"There is a limit in terms of what we need to explain. If I'm wearing glasses, why am I wearing glasses? You look somebody in the eye, why do you do that?

"There is nothing wrong about wearing glasses or looking into somebody's eyes or looking down."

2. An empty chair for French journalist Christophe Gleizes

In the press box at every France game at this World Cup, a seat is being left empty to highlight the plight of a French sports journalist who is in prison in Algeria.

Christophe Gleizes, 36, was jailed in 2025 for seven years for supporting terrorism, although some suspect a political aspect due to tensions between France and its former colony.

The journalist had contacted an exiled Kabyle opposition figure while pursuing a story about Algerian club side JS Kabylie for Paris-based football magazine, So Foot.

Many of the minority Kabylia Berber group identify JS Kabylie as a proxy national identifier.

The man Gleizes interviewed is now alleged to be the leader of the Movement for Self-Determination of Kabylia, a group designated as a terrorist organisation by the Algerian government.

French journalists' unions have called on Algeria to release Gleizes, whose mother, Sylvie, has travelled to the World Cup to highlight her son's case.

"The imprisonment of a journalist for carrying out his profession is a red line that must never be crossed," journalists' representatives from around 40 different French media organisations said in a statement last year.

As well as a seat in the press box, a chair at each France news conference is being left empty to highlight his case, with colleagues holding up scarves with "Free Gleizes" written on them on Monday.

Journalist Vincent Duluc, who works for French daily sports newspaper L'Equipe, asked a question at that news conference to France boss Didier Deschamps on behalf of Gleizes.

"I hope for his sake and his family's that he can be here as soon as possible and ask his questions himself," Deschamps replied.

3. Mbappé's worldie helps him breaks record despite 'ludicrous' VAR call

Kylian Mbappé became France's all-time leading goalscorer with his two sublime strikes against Senegal at Meadowlands.

His first was a sumptuous finish after an inch-perfect pass from Bayern midfielder Michael Olise.

But his second was absolutely remarkable.

Seconds after Ibrahim Mbaye scored a rasping goal for Senegal in second-half stoppage-time, Mbappe unleashed a monster of a strike of his own, a 20-metre screamer that would still be rising into the American sky had the net not been in place, flying into the top left corner of the goal.

"A crazy goal," French defender William Saliba said of the strike.

"We just conceded the first goal for Senegal, and just one minute after, we score a banger. I was so happy. Yeah, a crazy goal."

Mbappé has 58 goals for Les Bleus now, one goal more than former record holder Olivier Giroud.

"I play to make history with my country and help my team win the World Cup," Mbappé said after the match, noting that there would always be those who criticise.

"It's not about revenge," Mbappé said.

"If I started playing for all the people who criticise me just to silence them, I'd have to play until I was 80."

Mbappé was involved in an incident that earned plenty of criticism though, when A-League referee Alireza Faghani denied the Real Madrid man a spot kick after a decision blasted by the majority of observers.

"That is just rubbish. Utter nonsense," said former Scotland winger Pat Nevin on the BBC's coverage.

"No chance at all. How can he [Kylian Mbappé] have initiated the contact? The most nonsensical line I have ever heard."

4. Dublin-born Cabo Verde hero not swapping his jersey

On a list of disparate locations you'd probably never expect to get mentioned in a World Cup press conference, Cabo Verde and the west Dublin suburb of Kilnamanagh would probably be pretty safe bets.

But Cabo Verde defender Roberto Lopes was able to get both out in the same sentence after his side's shock 0-0 draw with Spain.

After the 33-year-old helped anchor Cabo Verde's defence against the European champions, Lopes initially wandered upfield to try and swap shirts with Mikel Oyarzabal.

However, a teammate got there first, so the Shamrock Rovers man decided he'd be better off keeping his maiden World Cup jersey to himself.

"I think I've had a word with myself in this tournament and I said, 'Do you know what, I'm going to break that sort of rule'," Lopes told reporters on Tuesday.

"I looked to swap the striker Oyarzabal's jersey, and my defensive counterpart got there before me. After that I thought, it's not meant to be, it's not what I do.

"To be fair, that Cape Verde jersey, my first-ever World Cup jersey, that will be going back to Kilnamanagh. I'm glad I didn't swap it."

Lopes had family from Ireland in Atlanta Stadium, but the hectic World Cup schedule meant he had no chance to meet them after the game, and the impact of what his team had achieved only hit him later on.

"I was just looking for my family and just wanted to celebrate that moment with them," he said.

"But then afterwards you're in the air, thinking, 'what just happened here?'. I managed to look up and wave in their direction and I could see them waving back.

"Then after the game, we were straight from the stadium to the airport and back in Tampa last night."

5. Save us, football baby Jesus

Football can be compared to being a religious experience for some.

So perhaps it's not a surprise that in Mexico City, the two passions of fútbol and Catholicism have blended to create the odd spectacle of a baby Jesus dressed in Mexico kit.

Reuters reports that thousands of fans are making the pilgrimage to the capital's cathedral to pray to a baby Jesus dressed in a Mexican kit, asking for World Cup victory.

The tradition dates back to 1970, when Mexico first hosted the tournament, but this year a 'Soccer baby Jesus' has been placed in the country's main cathedral, leading to many more visiting fans paying homage and asking for a miracle.

In Mexico, it is common for figures of the baby Jesus to be dressed in different outfits, including as a pilgrim to grant protection to travellers or as a doctor for good health.

The dressing of the baby Jesus in a Mexico soccer outfit started at the San Miguel Arcangel Church in a poor area of the city 55 years ago.

This year, a new parish priest banned the practice on the basis that it was disrespectful.

However, amid growing outrage — and fear among some fans that it might impact the team's performance — Mexico City's Metropolitan Cathedral decided to display a baby Jesus in the soccer shirt of 'El Tri.'

"It's the first time it's been here in the cathedral … the people themselves asked for it," Canon Manuel Corral told Reuters.

Father Corral said the faithful seeking a bit of extra World Cup edge were not only limited to Mexico fans.

"Today, for example, we have Colombians here saying their prayers to ask for victory," he said on Tuesday, the day before Colombia play Uzbekistan at the Azteca stadium.

The figure will remain on display in the atrium and in various parts of the cathedral until the end of the tournament, regardless of Mexico's performance.

Not everyone was happy though.

"As a Catholic, it's very strange for me to see the baby Jesus dressed like that. I don't really agree with it," Eleazar Martinez, a Mexican fan who arrived at the church shortly before noon, said.

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