Tite took issue with that suggestion in an interview with ESPN Brazil on Tuesday, saying the level of competition in the CONMEBOL region was as hard as any in the world.
“Maybe [Mbappe] is talking about these Nations League clashes or European friendlies, but not World Cup qualifiers,” Tite said, going on to outline the challenges South American giants like Argentina and Brazil face playing at high altitude in countries like Bolivia or against elite sides like Uruguay during their gruelling 18-game qualifying cycle.