FIFA World Cup: England vs France and Jude Bellingham vs Kylian Mbappe

    Some young players at this year's FIFA World Cup have already started to leave lasting impacts on the history pages of football.

    Jude Bellingham vs Kylian Mbappe Jude Bellingham vs Kylian Mbappe

    Jude Bellingham has been a compelling force in the midfield and his heroics against Senegal helped England enter the quarter-finals. 

    France, led by world-class striker Kylian Mbappe, are England's next opponents. The world champions have their hopes pinned on Mbappe, who currently leads the race for the Golden Boot with five goals, while England have high hopes for the very talented Bellingham. 

    19-year-old Bellingham's game is replete with a sense of maturity beyond his years. He inspired Gareth Southgate's side to seal a World Cup quarter-final berth despite Senegal pulling up their defences.

    After successful quarter-final matches, France and England are preparing for an intense clash. Before that, let's look at the winners and losers of their previous games.

    <blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p lang="en" dir="ltr">Jude Bellingham and Kylian Mbappe turn on the magic on day 15 🤯👏<a href="https://twitter.com/hashtag/Qatar2022?src=hash&amp;ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#Qatar2022</a> <a href="https://t.co/AA6nboPpBV">https://t.co/AA6nboPpBV</a></p>&mdash; FourFourTwo (@FourFourTwo) <a href="https://twitter.com/FourFourTwo/status/1599510903606550529?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">December 4, 2022</a></blockquote> <script async src="https://platform.twitter.com/widgets.js" charset="utf-8"></script>

    England: Winners

    Jordan Henderson

    Henderson was deployed against Wales in the final group match, and the Liverpool captain was expected to perpetuate Gareth Southgate's seemingly over-conservative approach to the sport. 

    Interestingly, Henderson left a positive impact, and his presence enhanced Bellingham's game. 

    Jude Bellingham

    Although Bellingham shockingly performed poorly in their draw against the United States, his talent overshadows the occasional flop. According to coach Southgate, "he's gone to another level in the last three months." 

    He is now expected to receive the Young Player of the Tournament award. If he maintains his level, he will also be in contention for the Golden Ball.

    Harry Kane

    Kane provided assists during the group stage and, finally, a goal against Senegal. England need Kane if they want to beat France, as his finishing talent has often helped Tottenham win. 

    Losers

    Marcus Rashford

    The Manchester United forward scored two goals against Wales to increase his tally to three, and he became the joint-highest goal scorer of the tournament. 

    However, he was outshined by Bukayo Saka and Phil Foden in recent games. As of now, he is expected to play as a substitute for the team. 

    Overall England Players Ratings till Quater Final

    Defence

    Jordan Pickford (7/10)

    Kyle Walker (6/10)

    Jon Stones (6/10)

    Harry Maguire (5/10)

    Luke Shaw (7/10)

    Midfield

    Jordan Henderson (8/10)

    Declan Rice (7/10)

    Jude Bellingham (9/10)

    Attack

    Bukayo Saka (8/10)

    Harry Kane (8/10)

    Phil Foden (9/10)

    Marcus Rashford (6/10)

    Jack Grealish (6/10)

    France: Winners

    Olivier Giroud

    The AC Milan striker has scored the highest number of goals for France. He has 52 international goals under his belt, just one more than Thierry Henry. Although his calibre is often questioned, his record speaks for itself.

    Kylian Mbappe

    Kylian Mbappe was fast-paced in the last match against Poland, but he had a lot to offer even otherwise. He contributed a brilliant assist for Giroud and then sent the ball past Wojciech Szczesny to score. He then netted another one that reminded the world of his unyielding speed and skill. 

    Jules Kounde

    The Barcelona defender plays as a right-back, and his position allows Theo Hernandez the freedom to join the attack on the left. Kounde started France's second game, which ended in a victory against Denmark, and now the right-back spot rightfully belongs to him.

    Overall France Players Ratings till Quater Final 

    Defence

    Hugo Lloris (6/10)

    Jules Kounde (7/10)

    Dayot Upamecano (6/10)

    Raphael Varane (7/10)

    Theo Hernandez (7/10)

    Midfield

    Aurelien Tchouameni (7/10)

    Adrien Rabiot (7/10)

    Antoine Greizmann (6/10):

    Attack

    Ousmane Dembele (7/10)

    Olivier Giroud (7/10)

    Kylian Mbappe (8/10)

     

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