With the 2026 World Cup just months away, Kylian Mbappé is making bold declarations about France's chances. And when the captain speaks, you listen.

"It has more talent, more potential," Mbappé said of the current French squad compared to the team that reached the 2022 final. "But is it stronger? I don't know. The results will tell you if it's stronger."

Those are big words from a player who understands the weight of expectations. But Mbappé isn't just talking — he's taking responsibility.

At 27, Mbappé has transitioned from the young prodigy to the elder statesman. He won the World Cup in 2018 as a teenager. He was a finalist in 2022. Now, as captain, he's the one who has to lead this talented group to glory.

"It's very different," Mbappé said in an interview with Téléfoot. "Everyone focuses on you and wants to take care of you. Now it's the opposite: I'm the one who has to take care of everyone. I was a pro, and some of my teammates were just kids. It's weird to talk like an old man when I'm not old."

But that's the reality for Mbappé now. He's no longer the young talent being protected by veterans. He's the leader, and everyone is looking to him.

And he's right about the talent. This French squad is stacked. Young stars are emerging, the core from 2022 is still in their prime, and the depth is ridiculous. On paper, France might be the most talented team in the tournament.

But as Mbappé himself notes, talent doesn't win trophies.

"I've seen French national teams that were extremely talented but didn't win," Mbappé warned. "So we have a lot of work to do if we want to be compared to previous teams."

He's talking about teams like the 2006 squad that lost in the final, or the Euro 2016 team that fell short at home. France has a history of underachieving with talented rosters. Mbappé knows that better than anyone.