Kylian Mbappé Matches Record Pele Has Held Since 1958

PA

French player Kylian Mbappé has made sporting history after his fantastic goal against Croatia in the World Cup 2018 final.

At just 19-years-old, Paris Saint-Germain player Mbappé is the second teenager in World Cup history to score in a final.

Mbappé scored the fourth and final goal of France’s 4-2 victory against Croatia.

The first teenager to score was Brazil legend Pelé who scored twice as a 17-year-old during the World Cup 1958 final against Sweden.

Now 77, Pelé has left a staggering legacy; having won not one but three World Cups. Could Mbappé be following in the great legend’s footsteps?

Pelé himself took to Twitter to remark on the young man’s glorious achievement, joking:

If Kylian keeps equalling my records like this I may have to dust my boots off again…

However, remaining refreshingly humble, new hero Mbappé replied:

The king will always remain king.

Mbappé is the youngest French player to ever score in the World Cup – a grand total of four times – and was rightfully given the Best Young Player Award for his exemplary contribution.

During his 2017-18 campaign with Paris Saint-Germain, Mbappé racked up 21 goals in all competitions; beginning his career on an exceptional high.

Not only is Mbappé a fantastic sportsman, he also has a heart of gold with a maturity which vastly exceeds his years.

The teen has reportedly given the entirety of his World Cup earnings as well as his winning bonus ($550,000) to a charity which offers free sports tuition to hospitalised and disabled kids.

Speaking to Le Monde prior to achieving his World Cup dreams, Mbappé said:

For me, football is more than a sport, just look at the impact it has on society,

People come to the stadium to forget their lives for 90 minutes, and it’s up to us to give them satisfaction; to get them out of their chairs and to fall asleep with stars in their eyes.

When I was younger, there were players who gave me pleasure, and now I’m in that role.

He added:

It’s the pleasure of the game, to score, to make the team-mate shine.

When you do what you love, you don’t want to be a transient: you haven’t sacrificed your whole life to be an extra; I hope to leave my mark on football.

There is absolutely no danger of this prodigy ever being regarded as an ‘extra’ with his deft goal widely regarded to be the finest of the final.

Rio Ferdinand has even expressed his desire to see the talented youngster head to Manchester United, stating:

He is a superstar. It wasn’t a shock for him to do that in a World Cup Final.

He is the guy that Cristiano and Messi are handing the crown over to. He will be on the Ballon d’Or podium for the next 10 years.

I hope my old club is chasing him.

I hope they’ve got their cheque book out, saying ‘whatever it costs, we’ll take you.’

However, Mbappé – who now finds himself in great demand all over the world – has squashed any rumours of a transfer, stating he is happy where he is.

A new global legend has emerged, and we can’t wait to see what’s in store for him.

If you have a story you want to tell send it to UNILAD via [email protected]

Julia Banim

Jules studied English Literature with Creative Writing at Lancaster University before earning her masters in International Relations at Leiden University in The Netherlands (Hoi!). She then trained as a journalist through News Associates in Manchester. Jules has previously worked as a mental health blogger, copywriter and freelancer for various publications.