Mbappé: the whole team wants Dembélé to score; we deliberately create chances for him

After a 3-0 victory over Iraq, Mbappé, who scored twice in the match, spoke to reporters in the mixed zone.

Tell us about your physical preparation for this tournament. You look in excellent form, with four goals in two games. How are you feeling in Philadelphia?

I feel great. Everyone knows the FIFA World Cup is a very important goal for any player. I have always tried to have the best possible season at Real Madrid.

I suffered a serious injury in January, but I recovered in the best possible way afterwards—both physically and mentally. I arrived here in good shape and I feel good. But as I said in yesterday's pre-match press conference, this is just the beginning.

You have scored 16 goals in 16 FIFA World Cup matches. How many goals do you think you need to score in this tournament to be the top scorer? The record for the most goals in a single World Cup is Fontaine's 13. Do you think that record can be broken?

I don't know. That's not something I'm thinking about right now. I think the most important thing is to establish a stable team framework so that we can find our rhythm and believe in our strength in crucial moments.

I’ve always been able to score at the World Cup, so it’s not something I worry about. But as I said, the most important thing for us is to build confidence as a team. As the tournament progresses, we’ll face increasingly tough challenges. To win the World Cup, you have to beat every opponent. It will be very difficult.

We noticed that you seemed frustrated after halftime. We saw you make some exaggerated gestures, as if to say, "Come on, let's just get this over with." Is that accurate?

No, that is not what I meant. I would not say I was frustrated, just a little dissatisfied. The side of the pitch we were attacking was waterlogged. They spent 20 minutes clearing the side we were defending, but did not take the time to clear the side we were attacking.

This put us at a disadvantage. I had hoped they would spend the same amount of time clearing both sides, or at least clear the side we were attacking. The waterlogging there slowed the game down. However, the staff aren’t to blame—someone instructed them to do it, and another group wasn’t ready yet. It’s no big deal. I was just a little emotional at the time. After all, we waited two hours, then arrived at the stadium to find the pitch hadn’t been protected. They should have covered it. So I was a little frustrated, but it passed quickly.

Today, Mbappé scored two goals, and you also scored two goals. It feels like a new storyline is emerging in this World Cup. Do you agree?

Not really. I said yesterday that Mbappé has always scored—he scored in the past, he is scoring now, and he will continue to score in the future. If I always focused on what he is doing, I would have to do even more. So I do not pay attention to what he is doing at all. I only think about how to help my team. Of course, when you help the team, you score goals; and when you score goals, you naturally move closer to the levels people talk about. But as I said, we still have a long way to go, and it will be very difficult. We will do our best to ultimately succeed on this challenging road.

At yesterday's press conference, you mentioned that Ousmane Dembélé's impact goes beyond goals and assists. You also spoke specifically about your connection with him. Today, he scored and provided an assist. How would you evaluate his performance? Do you think this could kickstart his World Cup campaign? This was his first goal in 13 World Cup matches.

I know that statistic. It is very important for him to score. We all want him to score, and the whole team wants him to score.

I think we consciously create opportunities for him. As I said before the game, he is a crucial player for us. When he performs the way he did today, everything becomes better for us, and the team becomes stronger.

For us, it is clear that we want Ousmane to feel good and comfortable. No matter what position he plays, we want him to play his own football. When he plays his own football, as we have always said, he is a unique and very special player.

Today, he had the chance to be the game-changer. Even if he did not contribute directly with goals or assists, we could still see from his touches, his initiative, and everything he attempted that he was in excellent form. That is great for us. We are very happy.

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