Kylian Mbappé was just nineteen when he made the 2018 World Cup his personal breakthrough moment. He broke French records, matched feats not seen since the era of Pelé, and led France to a World Cup title that felt like the start of something great. In the Icons section, we look back at the goals that changed his life, the night he surpassed Lionel Messi and the final that cemented his status.
“I don’t want to be just someone who passes through football.” The words Kylian Mbappé spoke shortly after the 2018 World Cup final sounded remarkably mature for someone of his age. In hindsight, he had nothing to worry about. At the age of nineteen, he had just led France to a world title – in the process matching a feat achieved by one of the greatest players of all time on two occasions – and he has not left the spotlight since.
Mbappé was, incidentally, no stranger to the limelight when he arrived in Russia as the new face of manager Didier Deschamps’ French squad. Following his breakthrough at AS Monaco, he was already being tipped as a future superstar. A year earlier, he had moved to his boyhood club Paris Saint-Germain, initially on loan and then via a permanent transfer involving a staggering €180 million. This meant that, at the age of nineteen, he was on the verge of becoming the second most expensive player ever.
He immediately began to justify that investment: in his first season in Paris, he was involved in 38 goals. Yet he remained somewhat out of the international spotlight, partly because he was playing in the French league.
What he went on to achieve as a teenager at the World Cup was something not seen since Pelé in 1958. Time and again, he followed in the footsteps of the Brazilian legend. That is precisely why the World Cup remains so special: once every four years, someone gets the chance to showcase themselves to the world live, on the biggest stage of them all. In 2018, that person was undoubtedly Mbappé.
The tournament turned out to be the prologue to a career that would unfold at the very highest level. Mbappé grew into the superstar everyone had predicted – for both club and country – and certainly not someone who merely ‘passed through’ the world of football.
This is the ninth story from Voetbalzone’s World Cup ‘Icons’ series. Listen to the podcast version now on Spotify or Apple.
It began with a simple tap-in
France actually got off to a difficult start at the World Cup in Russia, despite a star-studded squad featuring the likes of Paul Pogba, N’Golo Kanté and Raphaël Varane. In the opening match against Australia, a penalty and an unfortunate own goal were needed to secure victory, and things were equally tough against Peru.
Mbappé, however, stepped up to the plate. He fired France into the round of 16, although his first World Cup goal is one you probably wouldn’t immediately think of. That’s because it was perhaps the simplest goal of his career. After a deflected shot from Olivier Giroud bounced over the Peruvian goalkeeper, the teenager simply had to tap the ball in from less than a metre out. At that moment, he became the youngest French goalscorer ever at a World Cup.
In the final group match, a heavily reshuffled France side drew 0-0 with Denmark. The start of the tournament had therefore looked somewhat lacklustre, but thanks to Mbappé’s goal, France had already secured their place in the knockout stages as group winners.
Getty ImagesSurpassing one legend and equalling another
30 June 2018, the day the world really began to understand. Anyone who hadn’t taken Mbappé seriously during the group stage could no longer ignore him after the round of 16. It was Kylian Mbappé against Lionel Messi, in what would go on to become a classic World Cup match. Argentina had finished second in their group and faced France in Kazan, immediately creating a dream fixture.
In hindsight, this proved to be the match in which Mbappé finally broke through. With his speed, power and lethal finishing, he showed that a new generation of superstars had emerged. He opened the scoring after just eleven minutes. After Messi himself lost the ball, of all people, Mbappé picked it up deep in his own half. What followed was spectacular: he sprinted past almost the entire Argentine team, stormed into the penalty area and was eventually brought down by Marcos Rojo, who simply couldn’t keep up with him.
Antoine Griezmann converted the penalty, but the match remained completely unpredictable. Around the hour mark, both teams were level again following superb long-range strikes from Ángel Di María and Benjamin Pavard, whilst a deflected shot from Messi even put Argentina briefly in front.
Then Mbappé took complete control of the match. In the 64th minute, he controlled a loose ball, created space in a crowded penalty area and struck a powerful left-footed shot. The ball slipped under goalkeeper Franco Armani: 3-2 to France. Before the Argentine fans had even recovered, the next blow followed. After a swift attack, Olivier Giroud played a subtle through ball to the onrushing teenager, who fired it into the corner first time. Chaos on the touchline and a new chapter in football history.
Although Sergio Agüero later scored for Argentina, the match was decided. Mbappé had not only silenced Messi, but also equalled a record set by another legend: he became the first teenager since the seventeen-year-old Pelé in 1958 to score twice in a World Cup knockout match. After sixty years, that feat had finally been achieved once more.
Getty Images'Pelé is in a different league'
That achievement earned Mbappé praise from the late Brazilian legend himself. Pelé posted a message on Twitter: “Congratulations, @KMbappe. Two World Cup goals at such a young age put you in very special company! Good luck in your next matches, except against Brazil!”
Although Mbappé had thus joined an extremely select group, he remained remarkably modest after leading France to the quarter-finals. Something that does not immediately fit with his young age.
“It’s an honour, of course, to be second only to Pelé, but we have to put it into perspective: Pelé is in a league of his own,” he said. “Still, it’s great to be mentioned alongside such names and to score in knockout matches. I’m still young; I was born in the same year that France won the World Cup, in 1998. That was our only world title, but now is our chance to show what we can do. There’s no better place to shine than here. All the top players are here; this is the biggest stage there is.”
National manager Didier Deschamps agreed, emphasising that everyone had witnessed a major step in Mbappé’s development. “1998 was a good year; we won the World Cup and Kylian was born,” he joked. “In such an important match, he has shown all his talent. He scored twice, won a penalty and also contributed defensively when needed. He’s a brilliant lad. He lives and breathes football and knows everything about clubs and players. I’m absolutely delighted that he’s French and is developing so well.”
His teammates also saw this as a turning point in the young striker’s career.
“This is the Kylian we wanted to see,” Antoine Griezmann told the media. “He made the difference by winning the penalty and then scoring twice. It’s clear how much he means to us. He was there for us in difficult moments. Hopefully the world now sees the potential of our team too. But above all, it has become clear to everyone who Kylian really is.”
Getty ImagesWaiting for the right moment
It was almost symbolic that Mbappé played a less decisive role in the quarter-finals and semi-finals, only to step up once again on the biggest stage of all. France – often criticised for its conservative style of play – meanwhile fought its way, step by step, towards the final in Moscow.
In the quarter-final against Uruguay, it was Griezmann who proved decisive. First, he delivered a free-kick from which Raphaël Varane was able to score, after which goalkeeper Fernando Muslera surprisingly failed to save a long-range shot from Griezmann. France won comfortably 2-0. It was a model of efficiency. Mbappé had another great chance to open the scoring, but he completely misjudged the timing of his header.
In the semi-final against Belgium, Mbappé was primarily responsible for France’s threatening counter-attacks, as the team spent much of the match defending against their neighbours’ ‘golden generation’, featuring big names such as Eden Hazard and Kevin De Bruyne. Although he did not score, the young forward remained a constant threat on the break. With his speed, technique and clever positioning, he gave the Belgian defence no respite.
The highlight was a spectacular piece of skill that put Olivier Giroud through one-on-one with the goalkeeper, although his attempt was blocked at the last moment. Ultimately, a header from Samuel Umtiti proved enough for Deschamps’ side to reach the final, where Croatia awaited.
Getty ImagesShining on the biggest stage
After his dominant performance against Argentina in the round of 16, Mbappé had remained relatively inconspicuous in the subsequent matches. The big question was therefore: could he also be decisive on the very highest stage of world football? The answer turned out to be a resounding yes.
For the first 45 minutes, however, that wasn’t particularly evident. In a chaotic first half, the teenager played a modest role and perhaps seemed a little overwhelmed by the occasion. France did go into the break with a 2-1 lead, once again thanks to an own goal and a penalty, just as in the opening match against Australia.
After the break, everything changed. Mbappé came fully to life and caused Croatia major problems on the counter-attack, whilst an efficient France pulled away to a decisive lead against the perennial underdogs. It was his slaloming run down the right that ultimately led to the ball reaching Paul Pogba, who finished beautifully with his left foot in two touches: 3-1.
Just six minutes later came the absolute highlight of Mbappé’s tournament. The PSG forward cut inside from the right flank, received a pass from Lucas Hernández and unleashed a devastating strike from around 25 metres. His low, perfect shot disappeared into the corner. The match was decided.
“The lad with the world at his feet: Kylian Mbappé,” cheered commentator Peter Drury. “Just think of what lies ahead for him.”
With that single strike, Mbappé equalled Pelé once again: he became only the second teenager ever to score in a World Cup final. France won their first world title since 1998, the year their new hero was born.
Getty Images'Welcome to the club'
Once again, the Brazilian legend reacted enthusiastically to his young successor.
“Only the second teenager ever to score in a World Cup final!” Pelé wrote on Twitter. “Welcome to the club, @KMbappe, nice to finally have some company!”
The then 77-year-old added with a laugh: “If Kylian carries on matching my records like this, I might have to dust off my football boots again…”
That Mbappé had earned the Brazilian’s respect became clear again later that year. In December, Pelé said: “I’ve congratulated Mbappé before and told him he’s a brilliant player. He won the World Cup at nineteen; I was seventeen. I told him he could match my achievements. I even think he could become the new Pelé. Many people think I said that as a joke, but it’s no joke.”
Amidst all the attention surrounding the tournament, Mbappé himself seemed to understand well what it takes to become a true great. In a rare interview with Time Magazine later that year, he said: “I’ve learnt that the biggest stars are often the most humble people, the ones who respect others the most. There are three important things: respect, humility and clarity. My mum always said that to become a great footballer, you first have to be a good person.”
Getty ImagesNot ‘just a passing phase’
The words Mbappé spoke shortly after the final in Moscow – whilst confetti still lay on the pitch at the Luzhniki Stadium – underlined that modesty and his exceptional mindset at such a young age.
“I’m very happy. I’d already spoken about my ambitions before the World Cup. It was a long road, but it was worth it. We’re proud to have made the French people happy. That was our job: to let people forget their worries for a while. That’s what we play for.
I don’t want to be just someone who passes through football. Becoming world champion sends a message. I want to get even better, but winning the World Cup is certainly a great start.”
With hindsight – and given everything that happened in the years that followed – Mbappé needn’t have worried about a thing. The 2018 World Cup proved to be the starting point of his global status as a top-class player. In Russia, he shone under the brightest of spotlights and twice matched what many consider to be the greatest footballer of all time.
Now that he has fully realised his potential and has become one of – and perhaps the – best players in the world, he is already a true World Cup icon at the age of 26.
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