In comparison to many of the football greats who came before him, Kylian Mbappé is on a definite path to greatness at just 24 years old.
The French footballer Kylian Mbappé just turned 24. Already, he is one of the most prolific football players in the world.
In the recent World Cup, he led France’s efforts in their final match against Argentina. After scoring all of the team’s three goals before the penalty shootout, he became just the second man to score a hat-trick at a World Cup final.
With his talent and skill on the pitch, many regard him as the next GOAT, following Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.
Do you agree? Here are five things he has already accomplished before turning 24.
1. He won the World Cup at 19 years old.
Arguably his biggest achievement in his career happened early on — when he won the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé was only 19 years old at the time. When he scored his first World Cup goal in France’s 1-0 win over Peru, he became the youngest French goalscorer in the tournament’s history.
Later in the competition, Mbappé scored twice when France defeated Argentina 4-3, making him the second teenager to score two goals in a single World Cup match after the legend Pelé.
In total, he left Russia 2018 with five goals, a Man of the Match award, the FIFA Best Young Player Award, and the World Cup Trophy. Not many 19-year-olds come home with that many successes all from one competition.
2. He has scored 253 goals (so far).
Kylian Mbappé is a scoring machine. In his career so far, he has already scored 253 goals in total, on both the club and international levels.
The Frenchman made his professional debut with AS Monaco in the 2015-16 season, and moved to PSG, where he currently plays, in 2017.
At the club level, he has scored a total of 190 goals in 236 matches for PSG, and 27 in 60 for AS Monaco. On the international level, he has a total of 36 goals in 66 matches. Tallying all his career goals brings him to 253.
To compare, when Messi was the same age, he scored a total of 197, while Ronaldo had a tally of 132.
Mbappé is already surpassing the two GOATs at such a young age. Could he be the one to surpass the two?
3. He is sixth on France’s list of all-time top goal scorers.
With his goal record, he is sixth on France’s list of all-time top goal scorers.
Olivier Giroud currently sits at the top of the list with 53 goals — a spot that he just recently reached in the 2022 World Cup, surpassing Thierry Henry’s record of 51.
With Mbappé’s current record of 36 goals for France, and at his young age, it’s highly likely that he’ll be climbing his way to the top as his career progresses.
4. He has 12 club trophies.
Mbappé has only ever played for two clubs in his professional career, AS Monaco and PSG. But, he has been a key figure in both teams.
In his second season with AS Monaco, he scored six goals in the Champions League that year to send the team to the semifinals of the tournament. Similarly, he also finished on the top of Ligue 1’s scorer charts for four consecutive seasons with PSG.
In the ongoing Ligue 1 season, he already has a record of 19 goals in 19 games.
With his performances, it’s no wonder he already has 12 club trophies. When Ronaldo was his age, he had six.
5. He is one of the world’s highest-paid football players.
In Forbes’ list of the world’s highest-paid football players, Kylian Mbappé was listed as number one on the list, as he is reportedly earning a record of $128 million every year.
Second to him is Lionel Messi, earning $120 million, and third is Cristiano Ronaldo who earns $100 million.
Indeed, Kylian Mbappé is one of the best football players in the world right now, and though his numbers speak for themselves, watching his speed, tactical ability, and finishing on the pitch just add more fuel to the flames of the legacy he is still in the middle of creating.
Banner image from Kylian Mbappé on Instagram.
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The Young Gun: 5 records Kylian Mbappé achieved before turning 24
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