Kylian Mbappé praised for rare act moments before France vs Paraguay

France forward Kylian Mbappé has been praised by supporters for what he did ahead of Les Bleus' World Cup round of 16 clash against Paraguay.

The two-time winners faced the South Americans at the sweltering Philadelphia Stadium on Saturday evening (July 4), with Didier Deschamps naming star men Ousmane Dembélé, Michael Olise, Bradley Barcola and Mbappé in his starting XI.

The Europeans have impressed fans with their free-flowing attacking play throughout the tournament and have emerged as the outright favourites to lift the trophy after the final on July 19 in New York/New Jersey.

Mbappé has been in fine form, scoring six goals in just four matches ahead of the round of 16 clash, with only Lionel Messi ahead of him in the race for the Golden Boot on seven goals. Norway's Erling Haaland and England's Harry Kane are joint third-highest scorers with five goals apiece.

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Of course, Mbappé is used to receiving plaudits for his performances on the pitch, but he was praised for an unusual act in the build-up to France's clash against Paraguay.

During the warm-up, the 27-year-old missed the target with a shot, with the ball hitting a female fan sitting behind the goal.

A video posted on social media appeared to show Mbappé consoling the fan as she covered her face and cried, with the forward seemingly checking whether she was okay.

Meanwhile, French journalist Julien Laurens wrote: "Kylian Mbappé hit a shot during the warm-up which went over the bar and hit a Paraguayan fan sat behind the goal. The French captain went straight away to see if the fan was OK."

Fans took to social media to offer their thoughts on Mbappé's gesture.

One said: "Kylian Mbappé hit a fan with the ball and went to check if they were okay. What a guy."

Another joked: "It's become a habit."

A third commented: "Kylian hit the fan with the ball during the warm-up and went to apologise and check on her [heart emoji].”

A fourth quipped: "He deliberately targeted her just so he could come and apologise in front of the cameras."

Mbappé speaks out on World Cup Golden Boot race

Despite being in the running for a second World Cup Golden Boot, having previously won the accolade in 2022, Mbappé is more concerned with winning the World Cup rather than individual awards.

"No. No, no, no. I think the aim is to go as far as possible [at the World Cup]. To make it to July 19, to come back here and try to win it," he said when pressed on what he’d rather win earlier this week.

"We are taking it step by step. Of course, the more goals you score, the higher you climb towards glory. I do not think that I am telling anybody anything new. But, on top of that, I am convinced that Leo is going to score more goals. So, I do not pay too much attention to that.

"I focus more on the opponents we might face and how close we are getting to our target, which is the final. I do not think about that [chasing scoring records]. Of course, I am aware of the statistics.

"Everybody is talking about them, and I watch the television too. However, I am only thinking about how I can help my team get to the final on July 19."