Kylian Mbappe has received the ultimate seal of approval from one of the greatest strikers in the history of the game as France continue their 2026 World Cup journey. Brazilian legend Ronaldo Nazario has showered the Real Madrid superstar with praise after seeing him register four goals and two assists in his first three games at this summer's tournament in North America.

The group stage of the 2026 World Cup came to a dramatic conclusion on Saturday, as Austria scored a 96th-minute equaliser against Algeria to qualify for the knockout stage while simultaneously eliminating Iran, who had been set to progress as one of the tournament's third-placed finishers. Elsewhere, Lionel Messi came off the bench to help Argentina maintain their 100 percent winning record with a 3-1 victory over Jordan and, in doing so, the No.10 extended his record-breaking goals tally at the finals to 19.

The 2026 World Cup is underway as those still in contention fight it out for the universally coveted trophy. While the collective prize is the main objective for all competitors, some are already making their claim as the best player of the entire tournament. Lionel Messi is the current top candidate with all five of Argentina's goals, but Kylian Mbappe and Michael Olise are breathing down his neck.

Ousmane Dembele netted a sublime 32-minute hat-trick to blow Norway away and ensure France secured top spot in World Cup Group I with a 4-1 victory on Friday. The damage was done in the first half as the Ballon d'Or holder ran riot, ably assisted by Kylian Mbappe.

Former Chelsea winger Florent Malouda expects newly appointed Real Madrid manager Jose Mourinho to construct his entire tactical framework around Kylian Mbappe. The ex-France international believes the duo share an identical elite mindset focused completely on winning trophies and correcting the structural issues that plagued the club last season.

Speaking exclusively on the Beast Mode On Podcast, José Mourinho has backed Cristiano Ronaldo and his native Portugal to stake a serious claim for World Cup glory, while ranking England among the favourites. Having recently returned to Real Madrid for a second spell in charge at the Bernabeu, Mourinho has also explained why he is hoping to see Madrid's star names suffer early exits from FIFA's flagship event in North America.