Real Madrid-bound Kylian Mbappe reveals extra motivation in pursuit of Euro 2024 glory with France as he refuses to dwell on World Cup final defeat to Lionel Messi's Argentina

Mbappe played a key role in leading France to World Cup glory in 2018 and then again three years later in the Nations League. Now, he wants to complete this international trifecta at Euro 2024 in the coming weeks. While the 25-year-old admitted his nation's World Cup final defeat to Argentina in late 2022 stung, there won't be a hangover from that body blow.

He toldCNN Sport: “I want to win the Euros. I have to be honest. I won the World Cup. I won the Nations League. That’s the only one that missed me with the national team after I did everything with the national team. I really want to win this. My first competition as captain, so it’s really important for me and it’s always important for the country and we want them to be proud of us. [It’s] another opportunity to write the history of my country.”

On whether France have a World Cup hangover, he added: “I think we have to move forward. Of course, we were hurt, to see that you’re close to something… Close to the back-to-back. Something amazing. Something historic. Everybody loved the game except for us. We didn’t like that, but it’s part of the game. Now, when I watch the video of the game, I watch with a smile because it’s part of the history and we know what we have to do if we go again in the final. We have to play all the game and have no reaction.”

Mbappe finally completed his long-awaited move from Paris Saint-Germain to Real Madrid earlier this month, with expectations sky-high over what the forward can do in La Liga. Now, the pressure is on for, arguably, the world's best player to deliver on the big stage at the Euros.

Mbappe will look to get his country off to a winning start at this summer's European Championship in Germany when they take on Austria on Monday night, before locking horns with the Netherlands and Poland on June 21 and 25 respectively.