Mbappe dedicates Sweden goal to Deschamps with embrace after manager's mother dies

Kylian Mbappe marked his fifth goal of the World Cup against Sweden with a direct run to France manager Didier Deschamps, embracing his coach in a moment of solidarity after the death of Deschamps’ mother the previous week.

The Real Madrid forward broke the deadlock in the Round of 32 showdown, drifting past Alexander Isak, beating Viktor Gyokeres, and curling into the far corner from a quick corner routine. Rather than celebrate with his teammates, Mbappe brushed them aside and went straight to Deschamps on the touchline.

Deschamps had been forced to leave France’s World Cup camp to return home for his mother’s funeral, missing the final group stage match — a 4-1 win over Norway in which Ousmane Dembele scored a hat-trick, with assistant Guy Stephan taking charge in the dugout. He had learned of his mother’s passing following France’s 3-0 victory over Iraq, which had already secured their place in the knockout rounds.

Speaking ahead of the Sweden match, Deschamps addressed his grief openly. “How am I? I’m doing okay. Obviously I had complicated days where I was devastated,” he said. “But for my own personal well-being and for the good of the France team, I had to leave. Since I’ve been back, I’ve got back into this preparation for this match against Sweden. It’s good to have my head occupied.”

France had sought to honour Deschamps during the Norway game by requesting a minute’s silence and permission to wear black armbands, but FIFA declined both requests, instead directing teams to observe a silence for victims of earthquakes in Venezuela.

Midfielder Adrien Rabiot, who plays for AC Milan, said Deschamps had made a conscious effort to shield the squad from his grief. “Didier came back with the willpower to go as far as possible in this World Cup,” Rabiot said. “He smiled a lot. He tried to be enthusiastic, although I know that he’s very affected by his grief. I think he’s trying not to show it so it doesn’t distract us.”

Mbappe’s goal was his fifth of the tournament, moving him to within one of Lionel Messi’s record tally for a single World Cup edition. The strike continued his run as France’s primary attacking threat and kept alive his pursuit of the Golden Boot.