Mbappé… the teenager who shattered records and matched Pelé’s achievements at the 2018 World Cup

"I don’t want to be just someone who passed through the world of football." The depth of Kylian Mbappé’s words after the 2018 World Cup final belied his young age, but he had no need to worry. At the age of 19, he had just led France to victory on football’s biggest stage — matching the achievements of one of the greatest players in history — and has remained in the spotlight ever since.

Mbappé was by no means a complete unknown when he arrived in Russia as the exciting new face of Didier Deschamps’ France squad. Having been tipped as a future star following his sensational breakthrough at Monaco, the teenager had moved to Paris Saint-Germain, his hometown club, a year earlier, initially on loan, before being signed permanently for a staggering €180 million, making him the second most expensive player in history at the age of 19. He immediately began to justify that investment, directly contributing to 38 goals in his first season in the French capital, despite being somewhat out of the spotlight in Ligue 1, a league with less international renown.

Nevertheless, the way Mbappé burst onto the scene whilst still a teenager was something we hadn’t seen since Pelé in Sweden in 1958, as he replicated the feats of the greatest player in history. The reason the World Cup remains the most thrilling event football has to offer lies in the rare opportunity, which comes only once every four years, to see someone build their legend right on the biggest stage possible — and in 2018, that person was Mbappé.

It was the prelude to a career destined to be lived at the highest level, with Mbappé now the star everyone expected him to become for both club and country — and certainly not someone who merely ‘passed through’ the sport.

It all started with a ‘small batch’

Getty Images

In fact, France made an unconvincing start to their campaign in Russia, despite boasting a star-studded line-up that also included Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Raphaël Varane. They needed a penalty and an unexpected own goal to beat Australia in their opening match before facing significant difficulties against a strong Peru side.

But Mbappé stepped up to lead Les Bleus into the last 16. It is hard to recall his first World Cup goal without consulting the internet, as it was arguably the simplest goal of his career to date; after Olivier Giroud’s shot had beaten the Peruvian goalkeeper, the teenager simply appeared to tap the ball into the net from almost on the goal line, less than a metre from the goal. At that moment, he became the youngest player in French history to score a World Cup goal.

France, who had undergone significant changes, drew 0-0 with Denmark in their final Group C match, continuing their stuttering start to the campaign, but Mbappé’s goal had already secured the French an early qualification as group winners.

Surpassing a legend and reaching another

Getty Images

30 June 2018. That was the day the world began to take notice. If no one had yet risen from their seat to take note of what Mbappé had done in the group stage, they certainly would in the round of 16.

Kylian Mbappé was set to face Lionel Messi in a match that was destined to become a World Cup classic. Argentina’s disappointing second-place finish in Group D led to a head-to-head clash between the Argentinians and the French in a thrilling match in Kazan in the first game of the knockout stage. The match was treated at the time as a passing of the torch between generations, and went on to become the most memorable match of the Frenchman’s career to date, as he showcased his incredible physical strength and lethal finishing ability to herald a new era of stardom.

It was Mbappé who broke the deadlock in the 11th minute, capitalising on a ball that had remained in the defensive third after Messi, of all players, had lost possession. What followed was a stunning display of what the teenager was capable of: he outpaced virtually the entire Argentina side, sprinted away, shook off those who tried to stop him, and burst into the penalty area until he was brought down by a desperate Marcos Rojo, who was simply trying to keep up with the pace.

Antoine Griezmann converted the penalty, but the completely unpredictable match was level again around the 60th minute after Ángel Di María and Benjamin Pavard scored two superb goals, and Messi’s rebound shot put the Albiceleste temporarily ahead. But in the space of just four minutes, Mbappé took control of the match and knocked Argentina out of the competition.

In the 64th minute, he latched onto a loose ball and managed to find space in the middle of a crowded box before firing a powerful left-footed shot past Franco Armani, putting France back in front 3-2. While the fans were still celebrating, a swift counter-attack launched from the back ended with a pinpoint pass from Olivier Giroud to the 19-year-old, who was charging forward at speed; Mbappé struck the ball first-time into the corner, sparking an explosion of joy on the French bench.

Despite Sergio Agüero’s late goal, that match saw victory slip from the grasp of a genius like Messi, whilst Mbappé achieved another milestone: he became the first teenager to score two goals in a World Cup knockout match since Pelé, who was 17, in Sweden in 1958. After a long 60 years, this feat has finally been equalled.

“Pelé is in a league of his own”

Getty Images

This achievement earned praise from the legendary Brazilian striker, who wrote on Twitter: “Congratulations, @KMbappe. Two World Cup goals at such a young age put you in brilliant company! Good luck in the upcoming matches. Except for the match against Brazil!”

However, despite joining this exclusive club alongside the Brazilian icon, Mbappé showed nothing but humility after his country’s qualification for the World Cup quarter-finals, belying his young age. He said: “It’s an honour to be second only to Pelé, but we have to put things into perspective — Pelé is in a league of his own.”

"But it’s nice to be among those names and to score goals in knockout matches. I’m still young; I was born in the same year France won the World Cup (1998). That was our only time, but now is our chance to prove our worth. There’s certainly no better stage to shine on than this. All the best players are here; it’s the biggest stage there is.”

"[1998] was a good year — we won the World Cup and Kylian was born," said Deschamps, acknowledging that everyone had just witnessed Mbappé taking a giant step towards greatness. “In a match of this importance, he showed all his talent. As well as scoring two goals and winning a penalty, he also helped out a lot in defence when needed.”

“He’s a wonderful young man. He loves football and knows everything about the clubs and the players. I’m very happy that he’s French and that he’s developing so well.”

His teammates also acknowledged that this moment was a turning point in the young player’s career. “This is the Kylian we needed to see,” Griezmann told the press. “He made all the difference by winning the penalty and then scoring two goals. It’s clear he’s a huge help to us. When we were going through a tough patch, he stepped up.

“We hope the world now sees the potential we have as a team. But Kylian has shown everyone what he’s capable of.”

Waiting for the right moment

Getty Images

It was almost prophetic that Mbappé did not have the same impact in the quarter-finals and semi-finals before returning as a hero on the biggest stage of all, whilst France — often criticised for their conservative tactics — progressed on the basis of efficiency right through to the grand final in Moscow.

It was Griezmann who led the side against Uruguay in the quarter-finals, taking the free-kick that led to Varane’s goal before goalkeeper Fernando Muslera failed to save a long-range effort from Griezmann himself, sealing a 2-0 victory in yet another demonstration of Les Bleus’ efficiency. Mbappé had a great chance to open the scoring, but he headed the ball away terribly.

In the semi-final against Belgium, Mbappé was France’s main playmaker as the team spent long periods defending against Belgium’s golden generation, led by Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. Although he didn’t score, the youngster posed a constant threat on the counter-attack, showcasing his pace and intelligence in picking out positions — and never allowing the Belgian defence to relax. His standout moment was a superb one-two that left Giroud one-on-one with the goalkeeper, but the striker’s shot was blocked at the last moment. In the end, Samuel Umtiti’s headed goal was enough to send Deschamps’ men through to the final, where Croatia awaited them.

Shining on the biggest stage

Getty Images

Having been relatively subdued since his dominant performance against Argentina in the round of 16, the question was whether Mbappé would be able to make his mark on the biggest stage in world football. The answer? A resounding yes.

But for 45 minutes, it didn’t look like it would be; the teenager was largely absent in the first half of a chaotic final against Croatia, perhaps overwhelmed by the magnitude of the occasion. France went into the break 2-1 up, once again thanks to an own goal and a penalty, a repeat of the opening match against Australia.

But in the second half, he emerged to terrorise Croatia on the counter-attack, whilst France, with surgical precision, opened up an unassailable lead against a side that is usually the surprise package of tournaments. It was Mbappé’s run down the right flank that ultimately led to the ball reaching Pogba, who scored a beautiful goal with his left foot at the second attempt to make it 3-1.

Just six minutes later came the moment that crowned Mbappé’s magnificent tournament, as the Paris Saint-Germain star burst down the right flank to receive a pass from Lucas Hernández through the middle, before firing a precise, low shot into the corner from around 25 metres. Full-time. Commentator Peter Drury said during the broadcast: “The boy with the world at his feet: Kylian Mbappé.” “Imagine the life that awaits this boy in the future.”

With that right-footed strike, Mbappé equalled Pelé’s tally for the second time in the same tournament, becoming only the second teenager in history to score in a World Cup final, whilst France lifted the trophy for the first time since 1998 — the year their new hero was born.

"Welcome to the club"

Getty Images

Once again, the ‘King of Football’ himself was delighted to welcome a new member to this select group of young goalscorers in the World Cup final. “Only the second teenager to score in the #WorldCupFinal!” he wrote. “Welcome to the club, @KMbappe — it’s great to have company!” The then 77-year-old continued to joke, saying: “If Kylian keeps equalling my records like this, I might have to get my boots out of the cupboard again...”

It was clear that the young striker had won over the man with whom he shares this unique record, as Pelé said in December of that year: “I praised (Kylian) Mbappé last year, saying he was a fantastic player. He won the World Cup at the age of 19, whereas I was only 17 when I won it. I told him he could match my achievement, and I believe he could become the new Pelé. Many people think I said that as a joke, but it’s no joke!”

In fact, throughout the tournament and amidst all the hype surrounding him, Mbappé seemed to understand what it takes to become one of the greatest players in history. He said in a rare interview with *Time* magazine in 2018: “I’ve learnt that the biggest stars and the greatest players are the most humble, and the most respectful of people.” “There are three criteria: respect, humility and clarity.

“My mum always used to tell me that to become a great footballer, you first have to be a great man.”

A lasting legacy

Getty Images

Mbappé’s words immediately after the final in Moscow, when the coloured confetti had not yet settled on the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium, demonstrated this humility and clarity, as well as the elite mindset he possesses despite his young age.

"I'm absolutely delighted. I spoke about my ambitions before the World Cup. It's been a long road, but it was worth it. We're proud to have brought joy to the French people. That was our role: to help them forget all their troubles. That's what we play for.

"I don’t want to be just someone who passed through football. Becoming a world champion sends a message. I want to work even harder, but winning the World Cup is certainly a good start."

Looking back at the 2018 World Cup and everything that has happened in the eight years since, Mbappé really had nothing to worry about. That tournament was the springboard to his status as a global star, as he shone brightly under the lights of Russia, twice matching the likes of perhaps the greatest player in history.

Having fully realised his potential to become one of the best players in the world — if not the best of all time — he has already become a World Cup icon at the age of 26.

Click here to read article