Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé arrives in North America at the absolute peak of a generational career — captain, talisman, and now the man Deschamps openly builds the team around. The 2018 winner and 2022 final hat-trick scorer is chasing a piece of history nobody outside his own dressing room expects him to reach: Miroslav Klose’s 16 World Cup goals, a record set across four tournaments. Mbappé has done it in two and a half.

The Madrid year cleaned up the rough edges. He has been freed from PSG’s chaotic structure into Xabi Alonso’s geometric system, learning to drift into half-spaces and combine rather than always isolate. France’s draw is forgiving on paper — Senegal and Norway are the two genuine threats in Group I — but Mbappé’s tournament has always been measured by knockout-stage moments, and at 27 this is the World Cup that has to give him a second star.

Strengths

• Acceleration over 10-30 metres — still arguably the fastest top-flight forward
• Left-foot finishing from inside the channel
• One-on-one composure in tournament settings

Recent form

Coming off a Pichichi-winning La Liga campaign at Madrid; carries France's attack as undisputed focal point.

Already sits on 12 World Cup goals — four behind Klose's all-time record of 16, with this likely his last tournament in his prime.