Kylian Mbappe puts friendship on hold when facing Achraf Hakimi
France captain Kylian Mbappe said there were “no feelings” on the pitch after helping eliminate close friend Achraf Hakimi and Morocco from the FIFA World Cup, insisting both players were focused solely on winning during Thursday’s quarterfinal.
France booked a place in a third consecutive World Cup semifinal with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, with Mbappe recovering from a first-half penalty miss to score the opening goal before Ousmane Dembele added a second six minutes later.
Despite sharing a close friendship with Hakimi as teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe said elite competition leaves no room for emotion until after the final whistle.
“It’ll be harder when I see him again in the dressing room, because then we become human again, we become friends again,” Mbappe said after the match.
“But here, no, there are no emotions. I’m here to win. And he was here to win too.”
The 27-year-old said the emotional impact of Morocco’s defeat would only sink in once football was no longer the priority.
“It’s true that when I see him again in the dressing room, it’s definitely going to affect me, because he’s a very close friend of mine,” Mbappe said.
“But here, no, there are no feelings.”
Mbappe’s comments came after an eventful evening in Boston. The France captain saw a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou after being brought down inside the box, but responded after the break with a superb curling finish to break Morocco’s resistance. Dembele then struck six minutes later to secure France’s place in the last four.
The goal also marked another milestone for Mbappe, who made his 20th World Cup appearance and scored his 20th goal in the competition as he continued to climb the tournament’s record books.
Morocco’s campaign ended despite another disciplined defensive display, with Hakimi and his teammates unable to repeat the heroics that carried them deep into successive World Cups.
France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semifinals, while Mbappe’s attention will quickly turn from friendship back to football as Les Bleus continue their pursuit of another World Cup title.
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