Kylian Mbappé

Regarded as one of the best players in the world, he is known for his dribbling, speed, and finishing.

Kylian Mbappé

Mbappé with Paris Saint-Germain in 2019
Personal information
Full name	Kylian Mbappé Lottin
Date of birth	(1998-12-20) 20 December 1998 (age 25)
Place of birth	Paris, France
Height	1.78 m (5 ft 10 in)
Position(s)	Forward
Team information
Current team	Paris Saint-Germain
Number	7
Youth career
2004–2013	AS Bondy
2013–2015	Monaco
Senior career*
Years	Team	Apps	(Gls)
2015–2016	Monaco II	12	(4)
2015–2018	Monaco	41	(16)
2017–2018	→ Paris Saint-Germain (loan)	27	(13)
2018–	Paris Saint-Germain	175	(159)
International career‡
2014	France U17	2	(0)
2016	France U19	11	(7)
2017–	France	77	(46)
Medal record Men's football Representing  France FIFA World Cup Winner 2018 Runner-up 2022 UEFA Nations League Winner 2021 UEFA European Under-19 Championship Winner 2016
*Club domestic league appearances and goals, correct as of 23:00, 6 April 2024 (UTC) ‡ National team caps and goals, correct as of 23:30, 26 March 2024 (UTC)

Born in Paris and raised in nearby Bondy, Mbappé began his senior club career in 2015 with Monaco, where he won the Ligue 1 title in the 2016–17 season. In 2017, aged 18, Mbappé signed for Paris Saint-Germain on an eventual permanent transfer worth €180 million, making him the second-most-expensive player and most expensive teenage player of all time. With PSG, he has won five Ligue 1 titles and three Coupes de France, including a domestic quadruple in the 2019–20 season, while also leading the club to its first ever UEFA Champions League final in 2020. He is the club's all-time top goalscorer and ranks third all time in assists. He is the eighth-highest goalscorer in Ligue 1 history.

At international level, Mbappé made his senior debut for France in 2017, at age of 18. At the 2018 FIFA World Cup, Mbappé became the youngest French player to score at a World Cup, as well as the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final. He finished as the joint second-highest goalscorer as France won the tournament; he went on to win the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player and French Player of the Year awards for his performances. He also helped France to victory in the UEFA Nations League in 2021, receiving the top scorer award in the finals. At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, France reached the final again; Mbappé won the Golden Boot and Silver Ball and set the record for the most goals scored in World Cup final matches by scoring a hat-trick.

Mbappé finished in third place for the 2023 Ballon d'Or and was runner-up for the 2022 The Best FIFA Men's Player award. He was named to the FIFA FIFPro World11 in 2018, 2019 and 2022, the UEFA Team of the Year in 2018 and the UEFA Champions League Squad of the Season in 2016–17, 2019–20, 2020–21 and 2021–22. He was awarded the Golden Boy in 2017, the Kopa Trophy in 2018, and was shortlisted for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2019 and 2023. Mbappé has been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year a record four times, and has finished as the Ligue 1 top scorer for a joint-record five seasons; in the 2021–22 season, he became the first player to finish as both Ligue 1 top scorer and top assist provider. In 2023, he was among Time's 100 most influential people in the world, and was ranked third on the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

Kylian Mbappé Lottin was born on 20 December 1998 in the 19th arrondissement of Paris and was raised in Bondy, Seine-Saint-Denis, in the northeastern suburbs of Paris. His father, Wilfrid [fr], is originally from the Cameroonian island of Djébalè [fr], and, as well as being his agent, is a football coach. His mother, Fayza Lamari, is of Algerian Kabyle origin and is a former handball player. He has a younger brother, Ethan, who also plays for Paris Saint-Germain. Their older adoptive brother, Jirès Kembo Ekoko, is a former professional footballer.

As a child, Mbappé went to a private Catholic school in Bondy, where he was considered academically gifted but unruly. At 15, he began taking Spanish lessons, and eventually became fluent in the language. Among Mbappé's idols growing up were Zinedine Zidane, Cristiano Ronaldo, Neymar, Ronaldinho, Lionel Messi, Ronaldo Nazario, Eden Hazard and Thierry Henry. As a child, Mbappé received Robinho's AC Milan shirt as a gift from his nanny's family, who were supporters of the Italian club. However, Mbappé aspired to play for Real Madrid.

Early career

Mbappé was coached by his father, Wilfrid, when he started his career with AS Bondy. Another of his youth coaches at AS Bondy, Antonio Riccardi, stated,

The first time I coached him was when he was six years old. You could tell he was different. Kylian could do much more than the other children. His dribbling was already fantastic and he was much faster than the others. He was the best player I've ever seen in 15 years coaching here. In Paris, there are many talents but I'd never seen a talent like him. He was what we call a 'crack' (the best).

Eventually, Mbappé moved to the Clairefontaine academy, putting in a host of impressive performances leading to numerous French clubs, and Real Madrid, Chelsea, Liverpool, Manchester City and Bayern Munich, attempting to sign him. At the age of 11, Real Madrid invited him to train with their under-12s and visit the club's facilities. At age 14, he travelled to London after an invite from Chelsea, playing a match for their youth team against Charlton Athletic.

Monaco

In July 2013, at the age of 14, Mbappé joined the youth academy of Monaco, signing a three-year contract. The club had beat competition from Real Madrid and Zinedine Zidane, who was "very involved" in efforts to sign him.

2015–16: Development

In October 2015, Mbappé was brought in by Leonardo Jardim to be a mainstay in Monaco's reserve team, but his level of skill and maturity prompted his promotion to the main squad after just three weeks. He made his first team debut two months later, on 2 December 2015, in a 1–1 Ligue 1 home draw against Caen, replacing Fábio Coentrão after 88 minutes. Mbappé therefore became Monaco's youngest-ever first-team player, aged 16 years and 347 days, breaking the previous record set by Thierry Henry in 1994.

On 20 February 2016, Mbappé scored his first goal for the club's first team, a stoppage-time goal in a 3–1 league win over Troyes at the Stade Louis II; at the age of 17 years and 62 days, he became the youngest first-team goalscorer in Monaco's history—once again displacing Henry in the process. On 6 March 2016, Mbappé signed his first professional contract, a three-year deal, tying him to Monaco until June 2019. In an interview with CNN, Vadim Vasilyev, AS Monaco's vice-president, stated that he knew early on that Mbappé was a "phenomenon".

2016–17: Breakthrough and league title

 

Mbappé scored the first hat-trick of his first-team career on 14 December 2016, in a 7–0 home win over Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue round of 16 – the first hat-trick scored by any Monaco player in the competition since Sonny Anderson in 1997. On 11 February 2017, Mbappé scored the first Ligue 1 hat-trick of his career in a 5–0 home win over Metz; at 18 years and two months, he became the youngest player to score a league hat-trick since Jérémy Ménez did so for Sochaux back in 2005. On 21 February, Mbappé scored Monaco's second goal in the 40th minute of a 5–3 loss away to Manchester City in the UEFA Champions League round of 16. It was his first European-competition goal, and he became the second-youngest French scorer in Champions League history, behind only Karim Benzema. On 5 March, Mbappé scored two first-half goals in a 4–0 home win over Nantes to bring his Ligue 1 career tally to ten goals, becoming the youngest player in the previous thirty years to reach the ten-goal mark in the league. On 11 March, he scored a goal in a 2–1 home win over Bordeaux, registering his seventh goal in his previous four league starts.

On 15 March 2017, Mbappé scored Monaco's opening goal in the second leg of the Champions League round of 16 tie with Manchester City. Monaco went on to win 3–1, and with the aggregate score being tied 6–6, advanced to the quarter-finals thanks to the away goals rule. In the quarter-finals against Borussia Dortmund, Mbappé won a penalty and scored two goals as Monaco won the first leg 3–2 at the Westfalenstadion. In the second leg at home, he opened the scoring as Monaco won 3–1 and advanced to the semi-finals. They were eventually eliminated from the Champions League following a 4–1 loss on aggregate to Juventus, with Mbappé scoring his team's lone goal in the second leg. Mbappé ended the 2016–17 season with 26 goals from 44 matches in all competitions, as Monaco won the Ligue 1 title. He credited fellow Monaco striker Radamel Falcao as a key influence on him throughout the season, giving him the space to express himself and teaching him to be "calm" and "serene" during the game.

Paris Saint-Germain

2017–18: World record transfer and domestic treble

On 31 August 2017, Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) announced the signing of Mbappé from Monaco on loan with a mandatory purchase option of €180 million. According to PSG's assistant sporting director Luis Ferrer, the shift in Mbappé's decision to join the club was partly thanks to a "convincing" speech given by manager Unai Emery at the Mbappés' home over the summer. The €180 million fee made Mbappé the most expensive teenager ever and the second-most-expensive player ever (behind teammate Neymar), and broke the record for the largest transfer within a domestic league. He was handed the number 29 shirt upon arrival in the French capital.

On 8 September 2017, Mbappé made his PSG debut in a 5–1 Ligue 1 win away at Metz, scoring a goal. Four days later, he recorded his first European goal for the club in a 5–0 UEFA Champions League group stage away defeat of Celtic. He starred in PSG's 3–0 victory over Bayern Munich in the second group game of the Champions League, setting up goals for Edinson Cavani and Neymar, the latter seeing him taking out a defender with a feint by rolling the ball under his foot. On 6 December, Mbappé scored his tenth career Champions League goal in a 3–1 defeat to Bayern Munich, becoming the youngest player to reach that mark, at the age of 18 years and 11 months. Having already won his first league title with the club, on 8 May 2018, Mbappé featured in PSG's 2–0 win over Les Herbiers in the Coupe de France final.

2018–19: Ligue 1 Player of the Year

 

In July 2018, Mbappé was given the number 7 jersey for the upcoming season with PSG, taking up the squad number left vacant by Lucas Moura. Sporting the hashtag #K7LIAN, Mbappé stated, "I keep trying to progress on the pitch and I think that, for me, it was the right time to change number. It is something of an affirmation. The No. 7 shirt is a legendary one and many greats have worn it. I hope that I will be able to do this number justice on the pitch."

In his first appearance of the season, Mbappé scored twice in the last 10 minutes as PSG won 3–1 against Guingamp in Ligue 1. In the following league game, the front three of Mbappé, Cavani and Neymar all scored in a 3–1 win over Angers at home, with Mbappé – starting his first game of the season – scoring from a volley and setting up Neymar to score the third. On 1 September, he scored and assisted in a 4–2 away win over Nîmes, but was sent off for the first time in his career with a straight red card in injury time, after shoving Téji Savanier in retaliation for a late challenge from behind, for which Savanier was also sent off. Regarding his sending-off, Mbappé told reporters after the match, "If I had the chance to do it over again, I would do the same thing. I will apologise to the supporters and everybody, but I cannot tolerate this sort of thing." On 8 October, Mbappé scored four goals in just 13 minutes in a 5–0 home victory over Lyon and became the youngest player (at 19 years and 9 months) to score four goals in one game in Ligue 1 over the last forty-five seasons. On 3 December, Mbappé was the inaugural winner of the Kopa Trophy, which is awarded by France Football to the best under-21 player in the world.

On 19 January 2019, Mbappé was one of two players (the other being Cavani) to score a hat-trick in a 9–0 win over Guingamp, breaking a record PSG had set the previous season. On 12 February, he scored a goal in a 2–0 win over Manchester United at Old Trafford in the Champions League round of 16. On 2 March, he scored twice in a 2–1 away win over Caen to reach his 50th goal with the club. On 6 March, PSG lost 3–1 at home against Manchester United and was subsequently knocked out from the Champions League on the away goals rule. On 21 April, he scored a hat-trick in a 3–1 win against Monaco, netting his first goals against his former club. PSG finished the season as Ligue 1 champions, with Mbappé winning the Player of the Year award, while also finishing the season as the top goalscorer with 33 goals.

2019–20: Domestic quadruple and European final

 

On 3 August, Mbappé scored in a 2–1 win over Rennes to capture his first title of the 2019–20 season, the Trophée des Champions. He then scored again in PSG's opening Ligue 1 match of the season, a 3–0 home win over Nîmes on 11 August. On 22 October, he came off the bench and scored a perfect hat-trick in a 5–0 away win over Belgian side Club Brugge in the Champions League; at the age of 20 years and 306 days, he became the youngest player ever to score at least 15 goals in the competition.

On 1 May 2020, PSG were crowned Ligue 1 champions after the season had been called off amid the COVID-19 pandemic; at the time of the league's premature suspension, PSG were in first place, with a twelve–point lead over second–placed Marseille. Mbappé finished the 2019–20 season as joint-top scorer in Ligue 1 with 18 goals, along with Monaco's Wissam Ben Yedder; however, Mbappé was assigned the title due to his higher goals-per-game ratio. On 24 July, in the Coupe de France final against Saint-Étienne, Mbappé was forced off after sustaining an injury following a challenge from Loïc Perrin, who was sent off; PSG won the match 1–0, although Mbappé was ruled out of the Coupe de la Ligue final, which PSG went on to win, completing a domestic treble. He returned to action in the Champions League quarter-final against Atalanta on 12 August, coming on a substitute, and assisting Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting's match–winning goal in injury time. PSG eventually suffered a 1–0 loss to Bayern Munich in the Champions League final on 23 August.

2020–21: Third time top scorer and cup triumph

Mbappé missed the first three matches of the season after contracting COVID-19 while being on international duty. He returned to action on 20 September 2020, in a 3–0 away win against Nice, and scored a goal from a penalty kick. On 28 October, Mbappé recorded two assists, both for Moise Kean, in a 2–0 Champions League group stage victory against İstanbul Başakşehir. In doing so, he became the player with the most assists in the competition since the beginning of the 2017–18 edition, with his tally adding up to fourteen over the four seasons. In a Ligue 1 match against Montpellier on 5 December, Mbappé scored his 100th goal for PSG, becoming only the fifth player to achieve the feat for the Parisian club. In his side's final Champions League group match, Mbappé scored his first two goals of the European campaign against Başakşehir, as PSG won 5–1 and qualified for the knockout phase as group winners. He also became the youngest player in Champions League history to reach twenty goals (although this record would then be surpassed by Erling Haaland later on in the same season).

On 16 February 2021, Mbappé became only the third player, after Faustino Asprilla and Andriy Shevchenko, to score a Champions League hat-trick against Barcelona, doing so in PSG's 4–1 round of 16 win at the Camp Nou. Mbappé's hat-trick also saw him overtake Pauleta's total of 109 goals to become PSG's third-highest scorer, with only Cavani (200 goals) and Zlatan Ibrahimović (156 goals) getting more for the club. On 27 February, Mbappé scored twice in a 4–0 away win against Dijon, becoming the first player to score five braces in the Ligue 1 season. In the second leg against Barcelona on 10 March, Mbappé scored from the spot in a 1–1 draw at the Parc de Princes, as his side advanced to the quarter-finals 5–2 on aggregate. Mbappé's penalty was his 25th Champions League goal, surpassing opponent Lionel Messi as the youngest player to reach this milestone, at 22 years and 80 days. Adding to his hat-trick from the first leg, Mbappé additionally became the first player to score four goals against Barcelona in a single Champions League season.

In the first leg of the Champions League quarter-final against Bayern Munich on 7 April, Mbappé scored two goals, helping his team to a 3–2 win at the Allianz Arena, PSG's first victory in Munich since 1994. The French club later progressed to the semi-finals to be eventually eliminated by Manchester City: the forward missed the second leg due to a calf injury. On 19 May, Mbappé scored once and assisted the second in the Coupe de France final against his former club Monaco, as PSG won 2–0 to claim their first major trophy of the season. He ended the Ligue 1 campaign with 27 goals, becoming the top scorer for the third consecutive season, although PSG missed out on the Ligue 1 title – it was the first time in Mbappé's career where he did not win the league after four consecutive successes. Mbappé ended the season by receiving the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award and being included in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season.

2021–22: Player of the Year and contract extension

 

On 14 August 2021, prior to Paris Saint-Germain's opening home match of the 2021–22 season against Strasbourg, Mbappé was booed by the Parc des Princes amidst rumours that he wanted to sign for Spanish club Real Madrid. The match ended in a 4–2 victory for the Parisians, with the forward setting up three of his team's goals. He scored his first goal of the season in a 4–2 away win against Brest six days later. In the following match against Reims on 29 August, in which Lionel Messi notably made his debut for PSG, Mbappé scored a brace in a 2–0 Rouge-et-Bleu victory. On 24 November, he scored in a 2–1 Champions League defeat to Manchester City at the City of Manchester Stadium. On 7 December, he scored two goals in a 4–1 Champions League home win over Club Brugge. The goals, which were his 30th and 31st in the Champions League, made him the youngest player to reach this milestone in the history of the competition.

On 12 December 2021, Mbappé scored twice against Monaco in Ligue 1 to reach a century of league goals for PSG. At 22 years and 357 days old, he became the youngest player to score 100 goals for a single team in the French top-flight since Opta began recording data in the 1950–51 season. On 3 January 2022, Mbappé scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 4–0 Coupe de France win over Vannes. On 11 February, he scored the winning goal in stoppage time in a 1–0 league win over Rennes, a feat he repeated four days later, in a 1–0 Champions League victory over Real Madrid in the first leg of the round of 16. He scored another goal in the second leg, making him the second-highest goalscorer in Paris Saint-Germain's history; however, his team was knocked out following a 3–1 defeat at the Santiago Bernabéu Stadium.

On 21 May 2022, Mbappé extended his contract with PSG until 2025, despite speculations of a possible transfer to Real Madrid, which prompted La Liga officials to file a complaint to UEFA regarding accumulating losses of PSG in the previous years. Mbappé himself reportedly called and spoke to Real Madrid's president Florentino Pérez, telling him that he would not be signing for Real Madrid. According to Sky Sports, the financial details of Mbappé's contract included a monthly wage of £4 million, making him the highest-paid player in the world. Mbappé and PSG also reportedly secured a signing-on figure in the region of £100 million. In the hours following the forward's contract extension, he scored a hat-trick in a 5–0 win over Metz, to finish the season with 28 goals as top scorer for the fourth consecutive season. He became the third player to finish as Ligue 1's top scorer for four seasons in a row. Mbappé also provided 17 assists in the season, becoming the first player to finish as both top scorer and top assist provider in the league's history.

2022–23: All-time PSG top goalscorer

 

On 13 August 2022, Mbappé scored his first goal of the season for PSG in a 5–2 home victory over Montpellier, after having missed a penalty earlier in the match. Eight days later, he scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 7–1 away win over Lille. His first goal in the match was clocked at eight seconds, making it the second-fastest goal ever scored in Ligue 1 history, tenths of seconds later than Michel Rio's goal for Caen against Cannes in 1992. On 6 September, Mbappé scored a brace in PSG's opening Champions League fixture against Juventus, securing a 2–1 home victory for the Parisians. On 11 October, he scored a penalty in a 1–1 Champions League draw at home to Benfica, becoming the leading goalscorer for PSG in European competitions with 31 goals. However, the match was played in the backdrop of media reports that Mbappé wanted to leave PSG in the January transfer window, rumours which he denied, saying, "I'm very happy. I never asked for my departure in January."

On 23 January 2023, Mbappé became the first PSG player to score five goals in a match, including a ten-minute hat-trick, in a 7–0 rout of Pays de Cassel in the Coupe de France round of 32. On 26 February, he scored two goals and assisted another as PSG defeated Marseille 3–0 in Le Classique. He thus became the club's joint all-time top goalscorer with 200 goals, equalizing Edinson Cavani's record. In the following match, a 4–2 win over Nantes, he scored his 201st goal for PSG, taking the throne as the club's leading scorer. He ended the Ligue 1 campaign with 29 goals, to become the top scorer for the fifth consecutive season, as PSG won their record 11th Ligue 1 title. The forward also ended the season by receiving the Ligue 1 Player of the Year award for the fourth consecutive season, and featuring in the Ligue 1 Team of the Season.

2023–24: Continuation despite rumoured departure

On 13 June 2023, via an official statement released through Agence France-Presse, Mbappé announced his decision not to renew his contract with PSG, which was set to expire in June 2024; according to him, the club had been informed about his decision since 15 July 2022. In response to an article published by Le Parisien about his reported desire to join Real Madrid in the upcoming summer window, Mbappé tweeted that the rumours were "lies", reaffirming his intention to "continue at PSG next season, where [he is] very happy". However, during the unveiling of new manager Luis Enrique on 5 July 2023, PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi clarified the club's stance on Mbappé, stating that "if [he wants] to stay [...] he [needs] to sign a new contract". On 21 July, Mbappé was excluded from PSG's preseason tour in Japan. After much speculation surrounding his future at Paris Saint-Germain, a statement from the club on 13 August 2023 confirmed Mbappé's reintegration into the first team. This followed "constructive and positive discussions" between the player and the club ahead of their season opener against Lorient.

Mbappé eventually made his first appearance of the 2023–24 season in a 1–1 draw away to Toulouse on 19 August, scoring his team's only goal, PSG's first of the season. On 26 August, he scored his 150th and 151st Ligue 1 goals for the club as PSG beat Lens 3–1 at home. On 19 September, Mbappé scored PSG's first Champions League goal of the season in a 2–0 win over Borussia Dortmund. He scored the opening goal in a 3–0 win over AC Milan on matchday three of the competition on 25 October. On 11 November, Mbappé scored his first hat-trick of the season in a 3–0 win over Reims, lifting PSG to the top of the Ligue 1 table. On 28 November, Mbappé scored a penalty eight minutes into stoppage time, to salvage a 1–1 draw against Newcastle United and keep PSG in the Champions League, which proved to be crucial for the club, as they qualified to the knockout stages, following a 1–1 away draw against Borussia Dortmund on 13 December.

On 3 January 2024, Mbappé scored the second goal in a 2–0 victory over Toulouse in the 2023 Trophée des Champions, securing his first trophy of the season. In the process, Mbappé became the all-time top goalscorer at the Parc des Princes, with his 111th goal surpassing Edinson Cavani's scoring record. On 7 January 2024, Mbappé scored his first hat-trick of the year in a 9–0 thrashing of Revel in the round of 64 of the Coupe de France, becoming the club's all-time top scorer in the competition by bringing his goal tally to 30. On 15 February, it was reported in the media that Mbappé had informed PSG that he intended to leave the club upon expiration of his contract in June 2024. On 5 March, he scored a brace in a 2–1 win away to Real Sociedad in the round of 16 of the Champions League, securing PSG's qualification to the quarter-finals for the first time since the 2020–21 season. Mbappé scored his second hat-trick of the regular season and his first of the year on 19 March in a 6–2 win away at Montpellier, taking him to 250 goals in all competitions for PSG. On 16 April, he scored two goals in a 4–1 away win over Barcelona to help PSG qualify for the Champions League semi-finals after having lost the first leg 3–2 at the Parc des Princes.

2014–2018: Youth level and senior debut

 

In July 2016, Mbappé scored five times for France as they won the 2016 UEFA European Under-19 Championship. His second-half brace in the 3–1 victory over Portugal in the semi-finals had helped his team reach the final. He was included in the competition's Team of the Tournament.

Mbappé was called up to the senior France squad for the first time to face Luxembourg and Spain in March 2017. He made his debut on 25 March against the former side, coming on for Dimitri Payet in the 78th minute of a 3–1 2018 FIFA World Cup qualification away win. In doing so, he became the second youngest player ever (only behind Maryan Wisniewski) to feature for France, at 18 years, three months and five days of age. On 31 August 2017, Mbappé scored his first senior international goal in a 2018 World Cup qualification match against the Netherlands. He scored twice in a friendly against Russia in March 2018.

2018–2021: FIFA World Cup triumph

 

On 17 May 2018, Mbappé was called up to the France squad for the 2018 World Cup in Russia. On 21 June 2018, he scored his first World Cup goal in Les Bleus' 1–0 group stage win over Peru. This made him the youngest French goalscorer in World Cup history, aged 19. On 30 June 2018, he was named man of the match in a 4–3 win over Argentina in the round of 16, having won a penalty for his team and scored two goals. Mbappé was the second teenager to score two goals in a World Cup match after Pelé in 1958. In a post-match press conference, he stated: "It's flattering to be the second one after Pelé but let's put things into context – Pelé is in another category." On 15 July, Mbappé scored with a 25-yard strike against Croatia in the 2018 World Cup final, with France gaining a 4–2 win. He became the second teenager, after Pelé, to score in a World Cup final: moreover, having scored four goals in the tournament, he received the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player Award. Pelé congratulated him on social media, saying quote, "welcome to the club".

On 11 June 2019, Mbappé scored his 100th career goal in a 4–0 away win over Andorra in Euro 2020 qualifying. On 5 September 2020, Mbappé scored the only goal for France in a 1–0 UEFA Nations League win against Sweden. However, two days after the game, he tested positive for COVID-19. He returned to play for France in a 7–1 victory against Ukraine on 7 October 2020, scoring a goal. One week later, he scored the match-winning goal in a 2–1 win against Croatia. France topped their Nations League Group and qualified for the 2021 UEFA Nations League Finals.

UEFA Euro 2020 was postponed for a year because of the COVID-19 pandemic. On 18 May 2021, Mbappé was included in the France squad for UEFA Euro 2020, his second major international tournament. On 15 June, he scored a goal and assisted another one, both of which were later deemed to be offside, in a group stage match against Germany. On 28 June, he provided the assist for Karim Benzema's first goal in France's match against Switzerland in the round of 16. After a 3–3 draw, the game went to a penalty shoot-out; Mbappé failed to score the decisive fifth penalty, and France were eliminated from the tournament. The forward failed to score in any of the four games France played in the competition.

2021–2023: Nations League title and second consecutive World Cup final

 

In the Nations League semi-final on 7 October 2021, Mbappé assisted Benzema and later scored a goal himself from the penalty spot to help France come from behind and defeat Belgium 3–2. In the process, he made his 50th appearance for Les Bleus at 22 years and nine-and-a-half months. Three days later, in the final against Spain, he once again set-up Benzema to tie the match, and later scored the 2–1 winning goal for France to clinch their first title. With two goals and two assists in the Nations League Finals, Mbappé was awarded the competition's Golden Boot, known as the "Alipay Top Scorer Trophy."

On 13 November, Mbappé scored his first goals in the 2022 World Cup qualifiers by finding the net four times in an 8–0 win over Kazakhstan, as France booked their place for the tournament's finals. His super hat-trick, which included a 32-minute first half hat-trick, was his first one in an international match, as well as the first competitive hat-trick scored for France since Dominique Rocheteau in 1985. Three days later, Mbappé scored and served his fifth assist for Benzema in a row in a 2–0 away win over Finland in the last World Cup qualifier.

 

France kicked off their 2022 FIFA World Cup campaign in Qatar against Australia on 22 November 2022. In the match, Mbappé was involved in three of France's goals in a 4–1 victory; he was in the build-up for the second goal, scored the third – a header from an Ousmane Dembélé cross, and assisted Olivier Giroud for the fourth goal. Four days later, Mbappé scored both of France's goals in a 2–1 victory over Denmark, securing qualification to the knockout stages and thus breaking the "World Cup Champions' Curse". In the knockout round of sixteen against Poland, Mbappé scored two more goals, the first into the roof of the net from 16 yards and the second being a curling strike into the top corner, in a 3–1 win.

After featuring in France's wins against England and Morocco, respectively, in the quarter and semi-finals, Mbappé became only the second player in history to score a hat-trick in a World Cup final, scoring three goals against Argentina in the 2022 World Cup final. The Albiceleste had a 2–0 lead with just over ten minutes remaining, before the Frenchman scored twice in two minutes, the second being a volley after playing a one-two with Marcus Thuram. In extra time, Argentina would take the lead again, thanks to Mbappé's PSG teammate Messi, before the forward scored a penalty to make it 3–3, at just four minutes from the end of extra time. The match went to a penalty shoot-out; Mbappé scored his penalty, but France lost following misses by Kingsley Coman and Aurélien Tchouaméni. Mbappé secured the tournament's Golden Boot with eight goals, and became the sixth all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history with twelve goals, tied with Pelé. Having scored a goal in the 2018 final, Mbappé also became the outright top goalscorer in World Cup finals, with four goals, and his hat-trick was the first in a men's final since Geoff Hurst for England in 1966.

2023–present: Captaincy and Euro qualification

On 21 March 2023, following the international retirement of Hugo Lloris, manager Didier Deschamps named Mbappé the new captain of France ahead of their UEFA Euro 2024 qualifying campaign. Three days later, in his first match as captain, he led France to a 4–0 victory over the Netherlands, by assisting Antoine Griezmann's goal and scoring a brace. On 19 June, Mbappé scored a penalty in a 1–0 win over Greece, his 40th goal for Les Bleus. On the same night, he also became the youngest player to make 70 appearances for France. On 13 October, Mbappé scored two goals for France in a 2–1 win over the Netherlands, securing qualification to UEFA Euro 2024. He also surpassed Michel Platini to become France's fourth all-time top scorer. On 18 November, Mbappé scored a hat-trick and provided three assists in a 14–0 victory over Gibraltar, France's largest-ever victory. His third goal of the match, a long-range shot from "40 metres out", was his 300th career goal. He also surpassed Griezmann as France's third all-time top scorer, reaching 46 goals.

Style of play

 

A versatile forward, Mbappé often plays as a winger, and is capable of playing on either flank, due to his ability with both feet. He is capable of cutting into the centre onto his stronger right foot from the left wing, and of creating chances and providing assists for teammates from the right thanks to his vision. He is also able to play in the centre as a main striker, due to his composure, clinical finishing, and eye for goal.

A highly skillful player, Mbappé is known for his dribbling ability, as well as his explosive acceleration, agility, quick feet, first touch, link-up play and creativity when in possession of the ball, as demonstrated by his use of elaborate feints, such as step overs, or sudden changes of pace or direction to beat opponents in one-on-one situations. He is highly regarded for his pace and close ball control when dribbling at speed, as well as his movement, tactical intelligence, and ability to beat the defensive line by making attacking runs into space both on and off the ball. His ability to time his runs enables him to stretch opposing defences, making him a dangerous offensive threat on counter-attacks.

During the beginning of his career, Mbappé was compared to various greats in the history of football. He was described by Arsène Wenger as a "huge football talent" who "has similar qualities" to Thierry Henry. His talent and stand-out performances for France at the 2018 World Cup also led him to be compared to Pelé in the media. Former France international Nicolas Anelka said that Mbappé's ability to run at defences reminded him of Ronaldo's performances at the 1996 Olympics, and that Mbappé had the characteristics of a "world-class player".

Reception

Often regarded as the best player in the world since the decline of the Messi–Ronaldo dominance, Mbappé is generally viewed as one of the best players of his generation, if not the best. His individual and collective achievements, as well as his precocious development, has drawn much appraisal. Former French international Rio Mavuba remarked that if Mbappé had won the 2022 World Cup "he’d probably be the best French player (ever)", further saying "I love [Zinedine] Zidane but imagine, 23 years old, two World Cups, he’d be the best.” During that same World Cup, Fox Sports deemed Mbappé as already one of the "World Cup's all-time greats" and "the best player in the world".

Mbappé was named the fastest player in the world in a ranking by French newspaper Le Figaro. Central defender and Dutch international Stefan de Vrij cited the Frenchman as "his toughest opponent" ahead of anyone else, including Mbappé's childhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo. In 2018, the forward was considered the world's most expensive player from a transfer value perspective by the CIES. His performances for his club and national team have seen him shortlisted for the Laureus World Sportsman of the Year in 2019 and 2023.

Mbappé is a practising Christian. In a 2018 interview with Time, he spoke about the sacrifices he made as a teenager to focus on his football development: "I did not have the moments of so-called normal people during adolescence, like going out with friends, enjoying good times." But despite missing out on a "normal" life, Mbappé states he is "living the life he always dreamed of".

Just over four years after making his professional debut, he had over 50 million followers on Instagram. As of 2023, he has over 100 million followers on Instagram. While he admits his "life has been totally turned upside down" since he first entered the spotlight, he says he is "happy". He is fluent in French, English, and Spanish.

Media and sponsorship

Mbappé has a sponsorship deal with sportswear and equipment supplier Nike. In 2017, aged 18, he partnered with the brand to launch his own football boots, the Kylian Mbappé Nike Hypervenom 3. In 2018, he unveiled the Nike Mercurial Superfly VI boots, which were inspired by the R9 Mercurial boots of former Brazilian striker Ronaldo. In 2018, Swiss watchmaker Hublot signed Mbappé as a global ambassador.

Mbappé has featured in EA Sports' FIFA video game series: on FIFA 18, he had the highest potential rating of 94. His trademark goal celebration – posing with his arms folded and hands tucked under his armpits – was inspired by his younger brother Ethan, who would celebrate in this manner when beating Kylian at FIFA. The celebration was first inserted in FIFA 19. Mbappé featured as the cover star of FIFA 21, making him the youngest to appear on the cover solo.

In 2023, he was included by Time among the 100 most influential people in the world; in the same year, he was ranked third in the Forbes list of the world's highest-paid athletes.

Philanthropy

 

On 22 February 2018, Mbappé was joined by former African strikers George Weah and Didier Drogba in a meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron and FIFA president Gianni Infantino at the Élysée Palace in Paris, which focused on a sports development project in Africa. Mbappé stated that the development of African sport is important to him due to his parents' African origins.

On 28 January 2019, Mbappé donated $34,000 (around £26,000) to a crowdfunding campaign to finance a private search mission to find football player Emiliano Sala, whose light aircraft had gone missing over the English Channel a week earlier. Later, on 10 February 2019, Mbappé donated a further £27,000 to the GoFundMe campaign created to fund the search for the plane's still-missing pilot, David Ibbotson.

On 19 November 2021, Mbappé and Chinese diver Zhang Jiaqi became godfather and godmother, respectively, to two baby pandas at Beauval Zoo, as part of a campaign to raise awareness about the species.

Club

As of match played 16 April 2024