France celebrates its youthful reign
KYLIAN Mbappe and another supremely talented generation of French players may just be getting started after overcoming Croatia to win the World Cup in Russia.
While Mbappe, 19, is the poster boy for France’s new crop of talent, the make- up of the squad suggests they have the youthful firepower to dominate international football for years to come. The average age of a fine back four of Benjamin Pavard, Raphael Varane, Samuel Umtiti and Lucas Hernandez is just 23.
Ousmane Dembele, who cost Barcelona $ 123 million, played for just two minutes in the knockout stages, while France’s other goalscorers on Sunday, Antoine Griezmann, 27, and Paul Pogba, 25, are in their prime.
In scoring his fourth goal of the tournament and France’s fourth of a 4- 2 win in the World Cup final in Moscow’s Luzhniki Stadium, Mbappe – named young player of the tournament – became the youngest since Pele to score in football’s biggest match. “This is just the beginning,” Mbappe warned the world. “I intend to go even further.”
It is not the first time in Russia the lightning- quick Paris Saint- Germain forward has drawn comparisons with the Brazilian great. In scoring twice against Argentina in the last 16, Mbappe became the first teenager since Pele to score multiple goals in a World Cup game.
“If Kylian keeps equalling my records like this I may have to dust my boots off again,” tweeted Pele.
While Mbappe still has much to do to match Pele’s feats, there is no telling how dominant a young French squad littered with world- class players can become.
Only Nigeria sent a younger group than coach Didier Deschamps’s 23 to Russia yet France can boast serial winners at club level in Varane, Mbappe, Pogba and N’Golo Kante.
“Kylian Mbappe is just 19,” Deschamps said. “I hope he will win it again but you never know. Just like 20 years ago there were 19- year- old players like David Trezeguet and Thierry Henry. They could have ( won it again), but did not.”
Despite a failure to lift the World Cup a second time, Henry, Trezeguet and Deschamps were part of the side that won Euro 2000.
Following in the footsteps of their boss, who captained the 1998 World Cup- winning side, is the challenge for France after making amends for los- ing the Euro 2016 final on home soil.
The difference in 2016 was that Deschamps did not have Mbappe to call on when looking for inspiration against Portugal.
Mbappe’s performances in Russia are the culmination of a whirlwind two years for the world’s most expensive teenager after two Ligue 1 titles and a $ 283 million move from Monaco to PSG.
“Winning a World Cup so young opens doors. Now I need to keep working,” said Mbappe, who insisted he would remain at PSG despite interest from Real Madrid in making him Cristiano Ronaldo’s successor at the European champions.
Ominously for the competition, France only look like getting stronger as Mbappe and a host of youthful teammates mature.