KEY POINTS

  • France defeated Poland 2-1 in the Round of 16
  • England will face France in the quarters Saturday
  • With five goals, Mbappe is the leading scorer in 2022 World Cup

France forward Olivier Giroud believes Kylian Mbappe "can still improve" and his best is yet to come ahead of their clash with England in FIFA World Cup.

England and France will come face to face for their quarter-final fixture Saturday. With five goals in four games, Mbappe is the leading scorer in the 2022 World Cup. The French forward also has two assists to his name. Giroud is the joint second-leading scorer in the tournament with three strikes.

"Kylian is one of the best players I have played with. He is amazing, which is scary because he can still improve. His game, he's very efficient. From the beginning of the competition he has been crucial for us," Giroud told reporters. "He is very decisive. He is the best striker I have played with. We have still not seen the best of Kylian. I hope it is going to come soon. I know my records will be broken by him. He is unbelievable."

In France's Round of 16 meeting with Poland, Mbappe produced yet another incredible performance, scoring a brace and assisting Giroud's goal.

Overall in 11 World Cup appearances, Mbappe already has nine goals, one more than Cristiano Ronaldo, who has played 21 games in the competitions. He is on level with his Paris Saint-Gerain (PSG) teammate Lionel Messi, who has played 23 matches in the World Cup.

Mbappe earlier missed France's training session as he was doing indoor recovery work after their 2-1 win over Poland.

The reigning champions will only hope to have their key forward return to full fitness ahead of their quarter-final match against England on Saturday. With his superb speed, pace and finishing prowess, Mbappe is easily the biggest threat for the Three Lions.

Kylian Mbappe could not prevent France losing 2-0 to Denmark
AFP

Manchester United legend Rio Ferdinand called Mbappe's show against Poland the "most explosive performance" of the 2022 World Cup.

"Yesterday, I spoke about Messi as the best performance. Today [Mbappe] was the most explosive performance, devastating in all areas. You sense he's toying with his opponents. He's that good, he's that quick, he's that explosive, he feels like he can go past anyone on that pitch. 'There's no one who can stop me'. That's the confidence," Ferdinand said in an interview.

Soccer