Kylian Mbappe puts friendship aside as he faces Achraf Hakimi

France captain Kylian Mbappe said there were “no feelings” on the pitch after he helped knock close friend Achraf Hakimi and Morocco out of the World Cup, insisting both players were focused on winning during Thursday’s quarter-final.

France reserved a place in third World Cup semi-final in a row with a 2-0 victory over Morocco, with Mbappe recovering from a first-half penalty miss to score the opener before Ousmane Dembele added a second six minutes later.

Despite sharing a close friendship with Hakim as teammates at Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappe he said the elite competition leaves no room for emotion until the final whistle.

“It will be harder when I see him again in the dressing room because then we become people again, we become friends again,” Mbappe said after the match.

“But here, no, there’s no emotion. 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 a priority.

“It’s true that when I see him again in the dressing room, it will definitely affect me because he is a very close friend of mine,” Mbappe said.

“But not here, there are no feelings.

Mbappe’s comments came after a busy evening in Boston. The France captain saw a first-half penalty saved by Yassine Bounou after he was brought down in 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 a 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 his climb to the tournament’s records.

Morocco’s campaign ended despite another disciplined defensive display, with Hakimi and his teammates unable to repeat the heroics that took them deep into back-to-back World Cups.

France will now face either Spain or Belgium in the semi-finals, while Mbappe’s focus will quickly turn from friendship back to football as Les Bleus continue their quest for another World Cup title.

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Issued by:

Amar Panicker

Published on:

10 Jul 2026 04:55 IST