Mbappé was given the iconic number 10 jersey to wear for France as manager Didier Deschamps knew he was going to steal the show. France comfortably won their group with Mbappé picking up one goal against Peru. This goal was significant as he became the youngest French player to ever score at a World Cup.
In the round of 16, France were drawn against Argentina. Messi vs Mbappé. The future of football against the now. This game did not disappoint, a 4-3 thriller where Mbappé stole the show.
Two goals from Kylian and also a penalty that he won saw his French side edge out Messi’s Argentina in a legendary football match. It’s the game where Mbappé found himself as one of the world’s best as he showed up on the biggest stage in the world against the best player in the world and won. But his job wasn’t finished.
The quarterfinal against Uruguay, victory.
Semi-final against Belgium, victory.
This left Kylian one match away from writing his name in the history of football. 20 years after France lifted their only World Cup, they had the chance to make it too. World champion at 19 years old with a goal in the final too.
This made him only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final after the one and only Pelé. Kylian also picked up the Young Player of the Tournament award for the unbelievable talent he showed throughout the entire tournament.
For winning the World Cup, the entire French team were given a 400k bonus, but Kylian stayed humble. He donated his entire cheque to charity because he didn’t forget his poor upbringing and where he came from. But now, here he is, 19 years old, champion of the world, but Kylian Mbappé was only getting started.
After the World Cup, Mbappé was no longer considered just the future of football, he was the now. PSG gave him the number 7 jersey, which placed even higher expectations on him, but he was ready for them, as he carried his World Cup form straight into the next season. He was scoring goals for fun, most notably 4 goals in just 13 minutes against Lyon back in October.
He was awarded the 2018 Copa Trophy, which is the trophy given to the best young player in the world, but some would even argue he wasn’t just the best young player, he was the best player overall.
Yet again, PSG blitzed their Champions League group, but got knocked out in the round of 16 with an embarrassing loss to Manchester United, with a last-minute penalty from Marcus Rashford sending Mbappé home. But as per usual, PSG turned on the gas in France and picked up another league title with Mbappé’s most impressive season yet.
33 league goals, 7 league assists, and a player of the year award meant Mbappé was showing that he was the best player in France, even ahead of his teammate Neymar.
After yet another electric season for Mbappé, Nike came in and offered him a 10-year contract extension as they were looking to secure the future face of football, with Ronaldo coming to the end of his career. Mbappé agreed and signed a deal worth an estimated $18 million a year.
Now, up until this point in Mbappé’s career, it had basically been all up for him going from one high to another, but he was just about to enter the season where he would experience the first of his three major footballing heartbreaks.
Mbappé started the 19-20 season like any other, strong in scoring goals, but was sidelined for a month due to a hamstring injury. Nothing Kylian couldn’t shake off as he’d be back in scoring goals soon. Midway through this season, a pandemic you might have heard of came around and shut down football.
PSG were crowned champions early as the league couldn’t be completed, meaning Mbappé would pick up yet another league title and yet another top scorer award. The cup competitions, on the other hand, were postponed and allowed to be finished. Mbappé won both domestic cups, already meaning he’d won a domestic treble, but PSG had found themselves in a position they had never been in before.
They were in the Champions League final. This was the first final in the history of PSG and this was the last trophy Mbappé needed to complete football. This meant everything to him. The problem for Mbappé was that he was suffering with an ankle injury and didn’t know if he would make the final. He just about managed to recover in time to make the final, but he wasn’t playing at full capacity.
This injury was still a problem for him.Mbappé played the full 90 minutes in the final, showing flashes of brilliance, but it was clear he wasn’t at full fitness. A couple of opportunities came his way, but nothing hit the net, and he was running out of luck. Kingsley Coman bagged the only goal of the match for Bayern Munich, and that was that. PSG lost. Mbappe lost. This was tough. But like all top players do, Mbappe would bounce back stronger than ever.
He was announced as the cover star for FIFA 21, further showing the superstar that Kylian was. Mbappe led the PSG line this season and was not messing about. Consistent goals and consistent assists have now just become a staple for Mbappe, as he seemingly just kept getting better and better. In November, he picked up his 20th Champions League goal, making him the youngest player in history to reach that tally, and just a month later, he scored his 100th goal for PSG. Mbappe is just a record magnet.
A Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona would see Mbappe humiliate Messi once again, as he scored three spectacular goals to sink the Spanish Giants. Mbappe just kept proving to the world that he is, in fact, a big game player. When the pressure was on, he would always step up until football heartbreak number two, but we’ll get to that soon.
This season was different for PSG. They actually had a title race on their hands because Lille weren’t messing about. Mbappe picked up another Coupe de France, got knocked out of the Champions League in the semi-finals, and actually missed out on the league this year. I guess, after four in a row, Mbappe was bound to lose the league sooner or later.
Whilst PSG were disappointing this season, Mbappe still performed at the highest level, winning the League Player of the Season award and the Golden Boot, but all Mbappe could think about was the summer ahead. He dreamt of winning France another tournament as they headed into the Euros, but little did he know that this tournament was going to be more like a nightmare.
Coming into this tournament, France were the champions of the world, making them the clear favorites to win it. Mbappe was the face of this French team, as he was arguably the best player in the world at the time. France found themselves in the group of death with Germany, Spain, and Hungary, meaning just escaping the group was going to be a difficult task.
Entering the first game of the tournament against Germany, Mbappe was a threat the entire game. He had a goal disallowed for offside, but France did enough to win the game in the end. In the next two games against Portugal and Hungary, Mbappe was not at his best. Two draws were enough for France to top the group and advance, but Kylian was off it. He had no goals in the three opening games.
France were drawn against Switzerland in the next round, which should have been an easy task. The game was a thriller. France led the game three goals to one with 15 minutes remaining, where Switzerland bagged two late goals to take the game to extra time. Mbappe just couldn’t get into the game and this ended up going to a penalty shootout.
Nine penalties were taken and everyone scored. This went down to the last penalty. Kylian Mbappe was taking this penalty. If he scored, the penalties would continue. If he missed, France would get sent home. This was heartbreaking for Mbappe. He was the reason France were leaving the Euros early.
This same summer saw France play in the Nations League final, which isn’t a tournament at the same scale of the Euros, but it was a chance for redemption. And redemption is what Kylian got. He scored the winner against Spain and lifted the trophy with France. This was a good way for Kylian to bounce back and take his confidence into the next season, which would end up being a record-breaking season for him.
But as the season started off, PSG had a new star in town. Lionel Messi signed for PSG, which would create an interesting dynamic for Kylian. Most people in football thought a front three of Mbappe, Neymar and Messi would make the greatest attack in football history, but something just didn’t click. Three stars in one team just didn’t work.
Throughout this season, Mbappe was making headlines week after week, but these headlines weren’t only for his football performances. There was a lot of speculation about Mbappe’s future at PSG, as he had one year left on his contract and was very interested in a move to Real Madrid.
He finished the season as both the top scorer and top assister in the French League, being the first player in history to do it. He also picked up the league’s player of the season award, as PSG scooped up another league title.
As the season came to an end, PSG made one final offer to Mbappe. They wanted him to stay at all costs,so they gave him an offer that he just couldn’t refuse. Kylian Mbappe was handed a contract with an annual salary of $1,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000. Kylian Mbappe was handed a contract with an annual salary of $50 million and a signing on bonus of $300 million.
Yes, you heard me, $300 million. Mbappe was also given a level of power in the club where he would be involved in decisions at management level. Kylian signed and became the highest paid football player in the world.
Many football fans thought that all this money was going to get to his head, his performances were surely going to drop, but as usual, Mbappe proved them wrong. He came into the 22-23 season with the same form as he had in the last one.
He started the season on fire, scoring goals as he always does, but this season was different from any other football season because as December rolled around, club football stopped and there was a World Cup to play. Four years on from France’s World Cup victory and Mbappe was looking to make it too.
In the first group game against Australia, France came back from a goal down to win 4-1 where Mbappe picked up a goal and an assist. In the second group game against Denmark, Mbappe showed up yet again, bagging both goals in a 2-1 victory.
Jumping into the round of 16, France were drawn against Poland where, yet again, Mbappe stole the show. He played a beautiful assist to Giroud and scored this wonder goal.
France were through to the quarterfinals against England where the English would soon find out that football was in fact not coming home. Kane missed the crucial penalty that would have drawn England level and given them a chance. Man, Kylian really enjoyed that one.
Semi-final time and France were taking no prisoners. A clean 2-0 victory against Morocco saw Mbappe reach his second World Cup final just before his 24th birthday. France vs Argentina. Messi vs Mbappe. This is some deja vu.
Messi’s Argentina drew first blood and not soon after, Di Maria quickly made it two goals to nothing for Argentina. Game was running out for France but with just 12 minutes left on the clock, they managed to win a penalty and this is where the fun began.
Mbappe scores the penalty and then just two minutes later, he scores this volley to level the game. The game went to extra time where Messi made it 3-2 but Kylian Mbappe was about to do the impossible. One more penalty for France and Mbappe completed a World Cup final hat trick.
Mbappe had written himself in the history of football as one of the greatest players of all time but despite this, Mbappe was about to suffer the third and worst heartbreak of his football career.
As the game went to penalties, things turned sour. Mbappe scored his penalty but that wasn’t enough. France lost the shootout and lost the World Cup final. Mbappe scored a hat trick but somehow didn’t walk away with the trophy.
He took home the player of the tournament award along with the golden boot but these individual awards weren’t what he wanted. Mbappe was devastated but with the nature of the World Cup being in the middle of the season, he didn’t have much time to cry about it. He had to get back to Paris.
Back in Paris and reunited with his teammate Lionel Messi, that must have been an awkward conversation in the dressing room. But Mbappe refused to let this heartbreak ruin his season. He continued his world-class form, picking up five goals in a single match against Vans, making him the first PSG player to do that. In March, he was named as France’s captain due to his stellar performances and high level of maturity following the retirement of Hugo Lloris.
It’s also no surprise that PSG picked up another league title and Mbappe picked up yet another golden boot, making that his fourth in a row along with his fourth player of the year award in a row. He finished the season with a total of 41 goals and 10 assists, keeping his performance levels extremely high.
Now as he enters the 23-24 season, nothing seems to be changing. He’s scoring goals for fun and as Messi and Ronaldo are finally at the end of their careers, he looks to take the place as the best player in the world, although a certain treble-winning Norwegian might have something to say about that.
Mbappe’s time at PSG looks to be soon over with his contract expiring at the end of this season and all of Europe’s top clubs eyeing up the
Frenchman. Maybe Kylian will finally get his dream move to Real Madrid. What do you think? Is it worth it? Let me know in the comments below.
chman. Maybe Kylian will finally get his dream move to Real Madrid, but what is very clear is that at 25, Mbappe has already written his name in the history of football, and I can guarantee that his story is far from over.
