Kylian Mbappe is in a tough spot during the World Cup hunt, as France gets ready to play Paraguay.
Kylian Mbappe is about to face a unique challenge as France continues its World Cup journey, playing Paraguay this Saturday in the Round of 16.
Mbappe is having an amazing World Cup, with eight goal contributions in just four games. He scored two goals against Senegal, another two versus Iraq, helped with two assists against Norway, and scored two more against Sweden. Right now, he’s tied with Argentina’s Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot, both having scored six goals in the tournament.
Messi, often called the greatest footballer ever, has never won the World Cup Golden Boot. He just missed out in 2022 after Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final, even though France lost to Argentina.
France is aiming for its third straight World Cup final, but this match against Paraguay will be different because of the weather. The Weather Channel says it will be over 100 degrees Fahrenheit on Saturday afternoon—a heatwave that could make playing really tough.
France’s coach, Didier Deschamps, knows how weather can affect matches. They even had a thunderstorm delay during a group game against Iraq. Now, their Round of 16 game against Paraguay—the team that knocked out Germany on penalties—is the hottest match so far in this World Cup.
Humidity is expected to be about 44%, with a dew point above 75 degrees, which is so high that even top athletes are usually advised to train indoors. Because of this, the game might be delayed or moved to a cooler time, which is very rare in a World Cup.
Back in 2018, England’s quarter-final against Sweden also faced a heatwave, with temperatures above 35 degrees. There was even a water shortage joke going around, but the match went on as planned, and England won 2-0.
No World Cup game has ever been stopped halfway through, but the extreme heat on Saturday could make it possible. Moving the game is unlikely because FIFA scheduled it for a prime European TV time, 10 pm BST.
Paraguay could feel the heat more since their last match against Germany went into extra time and penalties. France, on the other hand, had a smoother 3-0 win over Sweden, and stars like Mbappe and Michael Olise played most of the match without being substituted early.
It’s going to be a tough and exciting game, and everyone will be watching closely to see how the players handle the heat!