ARGENTINA 3 FRANCE I
Teenage sensation Mbappe delivers the lethal blow to Messi & Co
AS Kylian Mbappe was destroying Argentina with his brilliance, Lionel Messi would have recognised a player with the world at his feet.
The teenage Paris Saintgermain forward scored twice, won the penalty from which Antoine Griezmann gave France an early lead and will be staying in Russia for at least another six days.
It was a performance good enough to retire Argentina’s midfield warhorse Javier Mascherano from
international football after 147 caps. And it served as a timely reminder to Messi as he heads home from yet another World Cup without a winner’s medal that the young pretenders are now coming for his crown as the planet’s best player.
At 19 Mbappe remains a raw talent, even if PSG have paid Monaco £166million for him.
But his pace, power, imagination and eye for goal were all on show as Didier Deschamps’ men moved into the quarter-finals.
The France boss – captain when he lifted the World Cup just a few months before Mbappe was born in 1998 – thinks his No.10 has more in common with Cristiano Ronaldo than Messi.
He said: “People feel like comparing players and I would say that Ronaldo was a forward player who was very, very quick. “I think Kylian is even quicker. “He is a young player who has a lot of ability. He will make a lot of progress, but I’m already very happy with the way he is playing.
“I’d say 1998 was a good year for him to be born – even if he didn’t see much of the World Cup.
“He adores football. He knows everything on clubs and players and I’m very happy that he’s a French citizen.
“In such an important match, he has shown all of his talent.” Griezm shuddere free-kick ahead in thrilling Mbappe Michael
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