Why the World Cup brings out Kylian Mbappé’s best | OneFootball

At 27, Kylian Mbappé is contesting a third World Cup in a third role, yet remains just as ruthless as ever in front of goal.

According to L'Équipe, his World Cup journey has spanned the right flank in 2018 as France won in Russia, the left in 2022 when he took the Golden Boot with eight, and now the centre in the United States, where the captain has struck four in two games.

Didier Deschamps has compared Mbappé’s scoring drive with that of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo, noting that records are there to be broken. He also suggested Mbappé may not play as long as those two, but will keep scoring while he is on the pitch, and has already reached 100 caps.

The forward’s bond with Deschamps helps explain his willingness to play wherever asked. In 2018, after the 2-1 opener against Australia, the coach first warned him in private, then in a team video, to track back more, a lesson Mbappé accepted, feeling respected despite being under 20 with only 15 caps. Over time, defensive duties stopped being a debate, with Adrien Rabiot shoring up the left in 2022.

Mbappé is said to view his goal tally as meaningful only if he wins the tournament on 19 July. He has repeatedly framed the ambition as collective, yet his goals continue to power France and leave him two behind Messi, who is pushing the World Cup scoring record to 18.

Source: L'Équipe