Cristiano Ronaldo’s precision. Lionel Messi’s vision. The speed and power of the original Ronaldo — the one from Brazil.
Kylian Mbappé is elevating his performance
to a new dimension at the World Cup.
As Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo play what
will likely be their final World Cup, the France and Paris Saint-Germain
striker is erasing any questions over who might succeed them as the sport’s new
superstar.
Mbappé delivered another stellar
performance when he scored twice and set up another goal for defending champion
France in a 3-1 win over Poland on Sunday to reach the quarterfinals of the
tournament in Qatar.
“We know about Kylian, of course. He speaks
on the soccer field,” France coach Didier Deschamps said. “He can change a
match in just a moment.”
Having already scored four goals when he
led his country to the title four years ago as a 19-year-old phenom, the now
23-year-old Mbappé has five and is the leading scorer in this edition of
soccer’s biggest event. His nine career World Cup goals make him the first
player to score that many before the age of 24, breaking a record previously
held by Pelé, who had seven at that point.
It’s not just about goals for Mbappé, whose
career arc continues to draw comparisons to Pelé, the Brazilian great who had
won two World Cup titles by the time he turned 21.
Mbappé is ready to follow Pelé, Diego
Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi into the pantheon of soccer greats.
“He hurt us today but I am cheering for him
because he is a real star,” Poland coach Czesław Michniewicz said through a
translator. “I’m talking about Messi, Ronaldo, (Robert) Lewandowski. If someone
is going to take over, I think Mbappé will be the player to be the best one for
many years.”
Playing on the left wing against Poland,
Mbappé’s first hint of magic came with a pass to himself.
In an instant, Mbappé accelerated up to 35
kph (22 mph) as he kicked the ball forward into empty space then burst past
Przemysław Frankowski to collect it several meters ahead. While that action
didn’t result in a goal, it laid the framework for what was to come on a night
when Mbappé showed off his full arsenal of weapons.
Moving toward the center of the field,
Mbappé then turned playmaker when he threaded a delicate pass through Poland’s
defense to set up Olivier Giroud’s opener.
Mbappé is ready to follow Pelé, Diego
Maradona, Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi into the pantheon of soccer greats.
“He hurt us today but I am cheering for him
because he is a real star,” Poland coach Czesław Michniewicz said through a
translator. “I’m talking about Messi, Ronaldo, (Robert) Lewandowski. If someone
is going to take over, I think Mbappé will be the player to be the best one for
many years.”
Playing on the left wing against Poland,
Mbappé’s first hint of magic came with a pass to himself.
In an instant, Mbappé accelerated up to 35
kph (22 mph) as he kicked the ball forward into empty space then burst past
Przemysław Frankowski to collect it several meters ahead. While that action
didn’t result in a goal, it laid the framework for what was to come on a night
when Mbappé showed off his full arsenal of weapons.
Moving toward the center of the field,
Mbappé then turned playmaker when he threaded a delicate pass through Poland’s
defense to set up Olivier Giroud’s opener.