FUNKO POP! FOOTBALL: Kylian Mbappe (PSG)

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Originally published by Jenna in 2019 and updated by Ruth in August 2022 and Updated by Vanessa R on June 2023

Mbappe is the the leading scorer in Qatar so far with five goals, and his overall tally of nine at World Cups means he has already overtaken Diego Maradona, who scored eight for Argentina, and Portugal's Cristiano Ronaldo. Although Mbappe is one of the fastest players in the world of soccer, he is not quite as fast as the world-record holder, Usain Bolt. During a game vs. Monaco in 2019, Mbappe set an impressive speed of 23.61 miles per hour – .25 miles per hour faster than Bolt when he won the 100m race in 2009. Mbappé in action – Biser Todorov [CC BY 4.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0)], from Wikimedia Commons 7. Mbappé is the second most expensive player in football Mbappé’s decision to stay at PSG could prove seismic for the landscape of European football. Despite some strong displays in European competitions this season, the quality at the top of La Liga is diminishing. It was previously the league that drew the world’s very best talent but, having lost Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi, Spanish football has also missed out on this generation’s two leading forwards, with Mbappé staying in Paris and Erling Haaland, who was chased by Madrid and Barcelona, signing for Manchester City.

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Mbappe, who was born on the outskirts of Paris and started out at his local team AS Bondy, made his first-team debut for Monaco in December 2015. Then there's Ethan Mbappé, Kylian's little bro' who is quietly on the rise at Barcelona's famed La Masia Academy where Messi mastered his trade. Individually, he has won the Golden Boy award - given to the best under-21 player in Europe's top flights - in 2017, been named French player of the year twice, and Ligue 1 player of the year and young player of the year three times. He was also judged to be the best young player at the 2018 World Cup and been Ligue 1's top goalscorer in four seasons.

In an interview with France Football in December 2019 Mbappe said he found out that Messi had one eye on him all the way. The 20-year-old Paris Saint-German striker became an international sensation after his stunning performance during the 2018 World Cup. He became one of France’s most adored citizens as kids cheered “Mbappé for president,” and social media users tweeted “Liberté, Égalité, Mbappé.”Here’s what you should know about France’s new favourite soccer player. Football superstar Kylian Mbappe had just lived up to the hype, helping France to their second World Cup victory at Russia 2018. A World Cup winner with France, Mbappe could easily have chosen to play for Cameroon or Algeria. His mother’s roots are Algerian and his father is from Cameroon.

5. Mbappe: a family of athletes

Indeed, he is the youngest player to score nine World Cup goals, breaking a record held by Eusebio, who scored eight for Portugal by the age of 24 years and 182 days. And he helped PSG reach their first Champions League final in 2020, though they were beaten by Bayern Munich. 3. He's used to lighting up a World Cup Kylian Mbappé poses with a scarf in front of fans after deciding to stay in Paris. Photograph: Julien Hekimian/PSG/Getty Images

Mbappé has described himself as a “kid with a new toy” when he gets a pair of sneakers. His first pair were the Nike Air Maxes. Although he meticulously cleaned them, they would get dirty when he went out on the field to play football. Growing up, so he says in an interview with Hypebeast in March, he would cry to his mother in an attempt to get the shoes he had his eye on. Brand sneakers were pricey, so he often had to beg his mom for the make and model he wanted. At 22, the PSG prodigy is eligible to play with France at the upcoming Olympics. So will we see him play at Tokyo 2020 this summer? We hope so! I saw that I could maybe get this title of the top goalscorer in Europe. … But, facing off against me, was Messi. I would score twice on a weekend, he would go and score three; I would score three, he would score four!" Everyone knows that my dream has always been to take part at the Olymoic Games and I hope I will be able to realise one of my lifelong dreams," he told French TV station TF1.However, he has not ruled out a move to the Spanish and European champions in the future, telling the BBC in May his Real Madrid dream was "never over". 7. A humble global star Here are some fun facts about France and PSG's megastar. Kylian Mbappe profile Born: December 20, 1998 Age: 22 Position: Striker Club: Paris St. Germain (PSG) Country: France 1. "It's not bad, Messi is watching me" Born in Bondy, a suburb roughly 11 kilometres northeast of Paris, Mbappe is a success story from the much-maligned ouskirts of Paris.