‘Mbappe still has lots more to give’
KYLIAN MBAPPE shuffled out into the blaze of flashbulbs with a sheepish smile and a shrug as he pulled the cuffs of his training top a little further over his fists. At the age of 19, Mbappe is in the process of making this World Cup his World Cup, another elegant stride on his sprint to the top.
Against Peru, he became France’s youngest ever scorer at a major tournament, a mantle seized from the grasp of David Trezeguet. Against Argentina, he stretched his tally to three, level with Karim Benzema in 2014 and Thierry Henry in 1998, winning the game for his country in the process.
Already, the only Frenchman who can boast more goals at a single World Cup tournament is Just Fontaine, who will in all probability never have his record of 13 in 1958 beaten.
Whispers resurfaced of interest in Mbappe from Real Madrid, long-standing admirers and a club who love to snap up the star of a major tournament, only to be then quashed by a statement from the Bernabeu claiming no deal was in place.
So all lenses were trained on one teenager ahead of a quarter-final already rich with big names.
There are Uruguay’s Luis Suarez and Edinson Cavani, if the latter is fit. There is the cultural icon that is Paul Pogba. There is Antoine Griezmann and his intriguing sub-plot with Atletico Madrid team-mates Diego Godin — the godfather of his daughter — and Jose Gimenez.
Still, what about Mbappe? How does he follow that lot? Don’t worry, promised France boss Didier Deschamps, there is more to come.
‘He is only 19 and he will grow a lot,’ said the France head coach. ‘He will learn how to manage these situations. When there are hard times, the trend is to question yourself and to dig deep. But when things go well, you shouldn’t relax and think things come easy or you need to put in less effort. Kylian is intelligent, he listens and he knows this.’
France captain Hugo Lloris added his praise for Mbappe, impressed by the teenager’s ability to cope with the recognition and his instinct.
‘He is a player with so much ambition,’ said the Tottenham keeper. ‘He has a bright future but, also, he’s very aware that, when opportunity knocks, you need to seize it.
‘He’s doing what he can not to miss his chance. The world saw him shine against Argentina but he stays focused and true to his style and he wants to enjoy himself.’
Blaise Matuidi’s suspension will force at least one change on Deschamps as he tries to find the right balance in midfield. France want to keep their momentum rolling but are wary of Uruguay’s threat.
‘It is true we were effective in the last match and there were a lot of emotions,’ said Deschamps. ‘But Uruguay is a very different profile to Argentina. They are well-organised in defence, strong on set-plays, very good on the counter with a direct style and they have two excellent strikers. We will need to be patient.’
They will also need Pogba to continue the fine form he has shown in Russia.
Deschamps has deployed the 25-year-old along with the more defensive-minded midfielder N’Golo Kante — and Pogba has produced the type of all-action performances Manchester United fans can claim to have seen only fleetingly.
French fans have also yearned for consistency, though, with Pogba poor