William Saliba compares Arsenal and France in terms of “pressure”

William Saliba compares Arsenal and France in terms of “pressure”

William Saliba has stated that playing for France in the World Cup is more demanding than playing for Arsenal.

Wednesday evening, the 21-year-old made his debut on the grandest platform as a substitute in France’s 1-0 loss to Tunisia.

He replaced Raphael Varane in the 63rd minute, and although Didier Deschamps’ team was already losing, Saliba did not allow a goal while he was on the field.

Despite suffering a fairly disappointing loss in the Education City Stadium, France nonetheless finished first in Group D, followed by Australia in second, Tunisia in third, and Denmark in last place. Due to their second-place finish in Group C, France will face Poland in their Round of 16 match on Sunday.

Before the game, Saliba spoke to the media about a variety of topics, but when asked about his team’s loss against Tunisia, he shifted the conversation to the strain of playing for France. Saliba has earned eight national team caps after making his debut earlier this year.

He said: “We didn’t have a good game, we weren’t good. But we need to get over it. There’s more pressure in playing for your country than for your club.”

Saliba is not likely to play in France’s critical knockout match, as Jules Kounde, Raphael Varane, and Dayot Upamecano are all projected to be ahead of him in the defensive pecking order.

Kylian Mbappe, who has scored three goals so far, is the most exciting player for France, as he is blazing on all cylinders up front, where France has the most excitement.

Antoine Griezmann asserted that since France won the 2018 World Cup, Kylian Mbappe has developed into a team leader.

Mbappe earned the FIFA World Cup award for Best Young Player after scoring four goals as a teenager in Russia. He earns the same salary as Lionel Messi and Neymar at the age of 23.

“Kylian, in 2018, was not the same player,” said Greizmann. “He did not have the same personality.

“We see him a lot more in the group, in training, he talks a lot, he brings his joie de vivre. He knows he’s important to us and that every move he makes on or off the pitch is going to be watched by fans, journalists and his team-mates, he’s beyond reproach.”

Before the World Cup, Greizmann was moved from his customary forward position to a right-sided midfield position behind Mbappe, Olivier Giroud, and Ousmane Dembele.

“We haven’t had a lot of minutes playing together or in training sessions, so it’s complicated to work on this link. Now I’m more in a role where I find the attackers. I’m starting to understand what he wants, what he needs, his game. It’s easier after playing a lot of games together. And the team needs me in the heart of the game.”

William Saliba compares Arsenal and France in terms of “pressure”