Four years ago in Russia, 19-year-old Mbappe was just starting out, like a bolt of lightning, shocking the world.
Four years later, Qatar, when France stood on the edge of the cliff, it was Kylian Mbappe who scored twice in 97 seconds to drag the game into extra time. It was he who withstood the pressure and scored three penalties in the game and it was he who scored a hat-trick.
Perhaps, the 35-year-old Messi told Mbappe with facts that the scepter and crown of football are not handed over tonight. But the future is Mbappe's.
Deschamps hugs Mbappe.
"Director M"
In the World Cup in Russia, Mbappe scored four goals alone, and in this cup, he scored five goals, ranking second in the World Cup scorers list in France, behind Fontaine, who scored 13 goals in a single edition, and only behind Messi and Thomas Müller among current players.
At the age of 23, every time Mbappe pulls the engine on the field, he makes those records that once seemed unattainable shudder, and in a World Cup known as "Ragnarok", Mbappe seemed to tell people with actions - the new king is standing.
In fact, Mbappe has already shown the world this sign 4 years ago, when Messi and Ronaldo stopped at the 1/8 final, Mbappe and his teammates went all the way to the final and took away the Hercules Cup.
In the 2022 World Cup final, Mbappe and Messi played each other.
In the direct confrontation between France and Argentina, Mbappe's performance crushed Messi, two goals, one point, in the face of this young man's unreasonable speed impact, Messi's world-winning technical ability also appeared to be eclipsed.
In the past four years, Ronaldo has fallen off the altar, Messi has also left Paris, and it is an indisputable fact that the double pride has entered the final stage of his career, and Mbappe in addition to constantly benchmarking his predecessors at the competitive level, is also stirring the public's audio-visual at all times.
He was the first player to dare to release Real Madrid's pigeons and has been number one in the "Transfer Market" value list for many years. What is even more unexpected is that in the Paris dressing room with Messi and Neymar, the 23-year-old Mbappe simply became the right person to talk, and the title of "Director M" has been spread among the fan base.
In Grand Paris, Mbappé is the future, and even more so.
Ascendant, impatient
Mbappé did inflate.
In the face of the owner, he took the world's first salary in world football from Grand Paris, and could also ask Middle Eastern capital to give up 100% of the image rights; In the face of his teammates, he has been urging the club's top management to fire the Brazilian because he is dissatisfied with Neymar; In the face of the national team, out of the protection of his personal business interests, he actually refused to participate in the group photo of the national team and its commercial activities...
Today's Mbappe has the biggest feeling that the sky and the earth are big, in the netizens' jokes, everyone in Paris has to look at Mr. Mu's face - in order to keep his job, Moroccan star Ashraf has perfectly transformed into Mbappe's number one "licking dog"...
Kylian Mbappe and Ashraf swapped jerseys.
In such an atmosphere, discussing a player's character has become a traffic topic on the Internet for the first time, and there is no sign of an end.
Before the World Cup in Qatar, Mbappe's words in an interview with the New York Times further exposed the ambition of the young man, "I think I will win it (World Footballer of the Year), I always say I dream of everything, I have no limits, this is a new era, Ronaldo and Messi, one day will stop." We have to find another person, a new person. ”
It's one thing for everyone to praise you, it's another for you to say it yourself, and while Kylian Mbappe has conquered many fans with his ability on the pitch, he has also gained the most black fans in the world.
Especially in the era when Mero still dominates traffic, Mbappe is a little impatient in the eyes of many people.
Mbappe is fast to blur.
The most intimidating player
Mbappe's various actions and too many straightforward expressions have also made many insiders feel unhappy.
Former France midfielder Petit said: "His words and deeds are getting further and further away from football and the field, although these rumors are difficult to tell whether they are true or false, but I want to tell Mbappe, be mature." ”
Pettit reminded Mbappe not to put himself above everyone and the team: "At Monaco you were asked to play in different positions, you didn't complain then, and now you seem to be carried away. ”
Premier League legend Souness also questioned Mbappe's succession in a column for The Post, "I don't think in 10 years we will compare him to Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele and Maradona, Mbappe's greatest talent is his explosiveness, but he will slow down as he gets older." ”
"As the speed drops, can he change the way he plays? Messi doesn't have the explosiveness of Mbappe when sprinting, but his brain is different from everyone else and has the most incredible technique. You think he's walking around the stadium and he's just looking at images that other people can't see. ”
The Argentine player tackles Kylian Mbappe.
Of course, there are also people who feel wronged by Mbappé. In October, while participating in a show hosted by RMC host Rothen, French football legend Dimeco supported Mbappe.
"The kid is under too much pressure and we can say he's a capricious guy [on the issue of moving to Real Madrid], but his performances in the team since joining Paris Saint-Germain are beyond reproach. It was Kylian Mbappe at the top that put Messi and Neymar in their best position. ”
Former Paris Saint-Germain captain Eric Rabbi Sandra Tanner is another person who has come forward to speak up for Kylian Mbappe. 'Mbappe in France is more comfortable playing at Saint-Germain, where he is the real tactical centre, always encouraging his team-mates and using his power to break the opponent's defensive system.
To a certain extent, Mbappe, as these two seniors said, even if there is too much criticism off the field, he has always been the deadliest killer on the field, and this will not change with everything around him.
From Russia to Qatar, the star-studded French team has destroyed cities along the way, and Mbappe has always been the most intimidating player.
Former England international Owen, who is known for his speed, said bluntly of Mbappe: "He is the best today, if you compare me to him, 20m, 30m start, I will have some advantages, but I can't do the sprint of more than 50m throughout the pitch like him. ”
Lionel Messi's fan Lineker also said of Mbappe: "When he gets the ball, he becomes the focus of the whole pitch. ”
The greater the capacity, the greater the controversy Mbappe faces.
Messi is still bullish on him
Before this World Cup final, Mbappe ranked joint first in the scorers list with five goals, tied for sixth with two assists, tied for third with 11 key passes, 25 shots on goal and 11 shots on target, second only to Messi's 27 and 14 attempts.
Under Mbappe's huge deterrent, many opponents even changed the formation of the game, with three central defenders and two wing-backs to defend Mbappe's wing breakthrough.
As a great defender, Ferdinand even sympathized with the defenders who had to face Mbappe at the World Cup: "He's like playing on the defenders, he's very confident, he makes you feel like he can break through anyone's defence and I love seeing players like that on the pitch. ”
Despite losing the final, Mbappe, who scored a hat-trick, has been successful in both World Cups and has personally stressed that he always puts the national team first: "I never wanted to make myself a problem, after the Euros someone thought I was the team's problem, when I missed a penalty, I was called a monkey. But I would say that I have always put national team honours above all else. ”
Messi also has high hopes for the junior, "He is a beast that can easily hit his opponent's soft underbelly, and no one has scored so many goals in the World Cup before the age of 24. Neither Pele, nor the great Ronaldo, nor even Klose, the top scorer in World Cup history, could set such a record at the same age. ”
On whether Mbappe relies solely on speed, Messi said: "He's an all-around player and he's proven that over the years. He will surely be one of the best players in the world in the coming years. ”
Don't you still believe Messi?