France defeated Croatia 4-2 in the final at Russia 2018 to lift the trophy for a second time, with Mbappe getting himself on the scoresheet with a fine 30-yard finish.

But that was only one of several brilliant moments the 19-year-old had at the tournament, with his two-goal display in the 4-3 Round of 16 triumph over Argentina arguably one of the best individual performances of the entire tournament.

Mbappe went on to claim the Best Young Player award for his efforts, but Deschamps was more surprised by the Paris Saint-Germain star's intelligence than his impact.

"I was not surprised," Deschamps told L'Equipe. "To be so crucial and effective at just 19, though, that is extraordinary.

"Kylian is also very intelligent. One of the best things he said was, 'I cannot be the spokesman for this team'.

"Despite his immense quality on the pitch, he knew that he did not have the experience to deal with the situation that others do."

Although France went on to win the tournament, its somewhat pragmatic tactics attracted criticism from some, with it being suggested that Deschamps could not get the best from such a talented squad.

But Deschamps was adamant that France cannot be considered a defensive team.

He said: "People are talking about us a defensive team? Oi! We scored 14 goals, including four in the final, as well as 11 in the knockout phase.

"Back in 2010, Spain scored just eight. The truth is that France were better than everybody else."