France captain Kylian Mbappe says he is satisfied with his side bouncing back from their Nations League loss to Spain in the third-placed play-off.
Les Bleus finished the campaign with a win over Germany, thanks to goals from the Real Madrid star and Michael Olise.
And while there was a lot to like about the French performance in Stuttgart, Mbappe took a balanced approach to things in his post-match interview, despite moving one behind Thierry Henry in the all-time scoring charts for his country.
He said: “We played two matches where we learned a lot, both positive and negative. We weren’t bored. There are a lot of things we did well. There are quite a few things to analyse.
“We had to react to the defeat against Spain. We did it, we’re very happy. Germany is never easy. We’re going home. The sun’s gone, so we’ll get back quickly. (The World Cup) I talk about it all the time because it’s a very important competition for us. THE competition.
“When you’re a player, there’s nothing more beautiful than representing your national team in a World Cup. You have to qualify first. The real story will begin in September with a qualifying match in Ukraine. We’ll have to prepare for the long journey that is the World Cup.
(On his drought) There are times like that. It’s good that people point out when I don’t score because they’re waiting for me to score. It puts respect on my name. I tried to work. I had quite a few episodes that delayed the deadline. I’m happy to start scoring again, but especially to win.
Mbappe was also asked about his chances of winning the Ballon d’Or after a prolific debut campaign with Madrid.
However, the young forward failed to win any silverware, meaning it is unlikely he picks up the award.
He added: “I have opinions, but they don’t count for much. The only trophy I can influence is the Golden Boot, because that depends on my feet. The Ballon d’Or doesn’t depend on me.
“I’ve always wanted to be important in the French team. It’s good to start being decisive again.
“It feels good to start scoring again because I’m one of the best scorers in the history of the French team. I knew it would come back. We talked a lot, it shows the respect we have for the player I am. When I start scoring again, I’m happy, the team is happy.”
