In the four years since Kylian Mbappe won the World Cup, his life has been a rollercoaster of triumph and anguish. In no particular order, there was the choice to remain at Paris Saint-Germain and reject Real Madrid in May; the failure to convert the go-ahead penalty in France’s round-of-16 shootout loss to Switzerland at Euro 2020; and the defeat to Bayern Munich in the 2020 Champions League final after failing to convert a significant opportunity while the score was still 0-0. The three Ligue 1 championships, the 193 goals scored, the 93 assists recorded, the relationship with Neymar and Lionel Messi, and the 2021 UEFA Nations League victory are all noteworthy accomplishments. For the best sports betting casinos make sure you stay tuned with CasinoDaddy!
But most importantly, Mbappe is unquestionably a different player than he was four years ago.
“Kylian in 2018 was not the same player. He didn’t have the same personality,” Antoine Griezmann, a France teammate, remarked. We see him much more in the group now and at training. He talks a lot and puts a lot of joie de vivre into the everyday life of the team.”
Remember that the Mbappe of 2018 was a prodigy who was still just 19 years old, was seen as “up-and-coming,” and was somewhat of an untested player. The Mbappe of 2022, however, is from a different planet. He is 23 years old, the best player in the world, the best player in this World Cup, and unquestionably a superstar all over the world.
Although he was tremendously motivated, the Mbappe of 2018 had not yet found his voice. He aspired to be the finest in the world, but he still had room for development and learning at that point. The Mbappe of 2022 is already very close to being complete. He performs exceptionally well in every area, but his front-of-goal play has shown a recent increase in clinical finishes and being clutch: This season, 50% of his shots are on target, up from 45% the year prior.
There is, of course, still opportunity for development. He might be more effective in the air and dribbles a bit too much at times. He can make some strides when he plays alone up front and receives the ball with his back to the goal.
However, the Mbappe of 2022 dominates the Mbappe of 2018. He is now more of a leader, and that is really clear in this contest.
Griezmann admitted that Mbappe is one of the captains of the France locker room. He maintained a quiet profile throughout 2018, eating his salmon and pasta, unwinding with his PlayStation, and working hard at training. In 2022, he becomes much more outspoken: He teases others to keep the atmosphere light and assumes leadership of the group, particularly the younger generation. He engaged in a dispute with the French FA for image rights on behalf of the team, who were all solidly behind him. There is little question that sooner rather than later he will wear the captain’s armband, which is presently worn by seasoned goalkeeper Hugo Lloris, and that might mark the beginning of his next stage of development. Make sure you check 18bet out!
Mbappe has achieved superstardom throughout the world as a result of his on-field success. He has a sizable social media following (9.39 million followers on Twitter and 75.8 million followers on Instagram), numerous lucrative sponsorship deals (he ranks No. 35 on Forbes’ list of the highest-paid athletes), and the potential to influence pop culture in a way that players like David Beckham have done before him.
For a program on the French network Canal+ in May 2018, Mbappe stated the following to his buddy Antoine Le Roy, which has since become one of his most well-known quotes: “Don’t talk to me about age. If you are good enough, you are on the pitch, period. There is no ‘you have the age, or you don’t have the age.’” He was correct, but despite his extraordinary skills, he still had a long way to go.
He must be content with where he is and how far he has gone four years later. How much more will the Mbappe of 2026 have grown in only four years? There is no evidence to suggest that he won’t keep improving.
For a program on the French network Canal+ in May 2018, Mbappe stated the following to his buddy Antoine Le Roy, which has since become one of his most well-known quotes: “Don’t talk to me about age. If you are good enough, you are on the pitch, period. There is no ‘you have the age, or you don’t have the age.” He was correct, but despite his extraordinary skills, he still had a long way to go.
He must be content with where he is and how far he has gone four years later. How much more will the Mbappe of 2026 have grown in only four years? There is no evidence to suggest that he won’t keep improving.
