France captain Kylian Mbappe has fuelled speculation about a future move to Major League Soccer, revealing that football icon David Beckham has repeatedly spoken to him about playing in the United States.
The Real Madrid forward made the comments while preparing for France’s World Cup clash against Iraq, where he is expected to earn his 100th international cap.
Although Mbappe stressed that his focus remains on helping France progress at the tournament, he admitted that a move to MLS is something he could consider later in his career.
Beckham influence sparks MLS speculation
Asked about the possibility of playing in the United States, Mbappe did not dismiss the idea and acknowledged Beckham’s role in promoting the league to him.
“We’ll see,” Mbappe said.
“David Beckham has mentioned it to me many times. American culture is different; there are no limits to ambition, and I like that.”
The 27-year-old suggested he is keeping an open mind about his long-term future, joking that he does not expect to remain at the highest level in Europe indefinitely.
“I won’t be here at 40; they’ll have kicked me out before then,” he said.
“I don’t make long-term plans; I want to enjoy this World Cup.”
Focus remains on France and World Cup history
Despite the transfer speculation, Mbappe insisted his attention is firmly on France’s World Cup campaign and the milestone of reaching 100 appearances for his country.
“It is always a pleasure to play for the national team. There is nothing greater than representing your country,” he said.
“It is a historic number, especially at a World Cup, but the most important thing will be the result.”
Mbappe is also chasing another major achievement. With 14 World Cup goals to his name, he is closing in on Lionel Messi’s record of 16 goals in the tournament.
“I am going to keep scoring to help my country go as far as possible,” he said.
“And, of course, by scoring, I will get closer to that record.”
The France star also weighed in on football’s greatest-player debate, praising both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Messi is the best player alongside Cristiano, that much is clear,” Mbappe said.
“I try to help my team win another World Cup. The rest are debates for journalists.”