The most feared footballer on the planet stands between England and the World Cup semi-finals.
French forward Kylian Mbappe, 23, is the sport’s newest superstar as Lionel Messi, 35, and Cristiano Ronaldo, 37, head towards the end of their careers. The working class lad brought up in the rough suburbs of north-eastern Paris will face England on Saturday as the most heralded player of his generation.
Leading the race for the tournament’s top scorer with five goals in four games, he has never forgotten his roots. When he was young, Kylian put pictures of Ronaldo all over his bedroom walls, saying: “He was my football hero.” But when he became famous, Kylian cheekily replaced them with posters of himself.
Fellow players speak of his kindness and generosity – especially with fans. At the French team hotel in the Doha suburb of Al Sadd, the star told off security guards who tried to ban him from posing for a selfie with Manchester United fan Matthew Monton.
Matthew, from Manchester, said: “What a gentleman. He didn’t have to do that. Several French players refused.” French newspaper L’Equipe’s front page headline said simply: “God Save Notre King” – a clear and emphatic message to England ahead of this weekend’s quarter-final.
He was born Kylian Adesanmi Mbappe Lottin on December 20, 1998, in a Paris hospital. He was brought up in Bondy, to the north-east of the French capital. And he was always destined for greatness from a very young age.
As a young teenager, French newspapers singled him out to reach the very top. And his prodigious talent was already being recognised. At the age of 11, he travelled to Spain after being invited to visit Real Madrid ’s training headquarters.
Aged 14, he travelled to England and played for a Chelsea youth side in London in a game in which they beat Charlton Athletic 8-0. His coach at AS Bondy, Antonio Riccardi, said: “The first time I coached him was when he was six years old.
“You could tell he was different. Kylian could do much more than the other children. His dribbling was already fantastic and he was much faster than the others. He was the best player I’ve ever seen in 15 years coaching here.”
Kylian was much-coveted after bursting onto the European scene as a teenager with Monaco during the 2016/17 season, and ended up signing for Paris St Germain that summer in a deal that was eventually worth £155million. He was just 16 years and 347 days old when he made his Monaco debut.
His mum, Fayza Lamari, is a former professional handball player from the Grande-Kabylie region of Algeria. Her husband is Wilfried Mbappe, who fled from poverty in Cameroon to seek a better life in France.
The couple have always ensured their son did not forget where he had come from by insisting he put his bonuses into charitable projects. With his £60million-a-year salary, Kylian helps out many worthy causes. He donated all of his last World Cup winning fee to charity.
He said: “I earn enough money – a lot of money. So I think it is important to help those who are in need. A lot of people are suffering, a lot of people have diseases. For people like us, giving a helping hand to people is not a big thing. It doesn’t change my life, but it changes theirs. And if it can change theirs, it is a great pleasure.”
Fayza helped him set up his own foundation – called Inspired by KM – and has spoken of her pride at her son’s achievements. She said: “When he becomes a world champion, as a former sportswoman, I am indeed happy, but what I am most proud of is the man he has become. The time is not over. He still has time to grow as a person, but today I am proud of him, of course.”
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Although Kylian has enlisted the help of his parents, two aunts and the headmaster of the school he went to to run the charity, he promised to be heavily involved himself. He said: “I didn’t set this up to delegate, I am going to invest myself in this to the maximum.
“I’m just trying to give a hand to children and make them smile. In life, there are not only easy things. But the children must continue to hold on. You have to give them the right messages, the right ingredients, and guide them. They are the ones who will achieve their dreams.”
Despite missing out on a “normal” life most young men his age enjoy, Kylian is still “living the life he always dreamed of”. He said: “We can be the best and the world champions, as we are now. And in four years, you are forgotten, because there is someone else who has arrived and done better than you.
“I have learned that the biggest stars and the greatest players are the most humble ones, the ones who respect people the most. There are three criteria: respect, humility and lucidity. My mother has always told me that to become a great football player, you must be, before all, a great man.”
United fan Matthew added: “He is such a humble man. He’s got class. Not a lot of players can say that.” And if the English defence manage to keep Kylian quiet on Saturday, they may still struggle.
As alongside him will be ex-Arsenal and Chelsea striker Olivier Giroud – who has just broken Thierry Henry’s all-time goal record for France – Antoine Griezmann and Barcelona ’s £124m winger Ousmane Dembele.
