Kylian Mbappe has already etched his name in football history for his great achievements as a player and a successful Euro 2024 would go a long way towards his goal of becoming one of the game’s greatest ever players.
The whole world couldn’t help but take notice when he became the first teenager since Pele to score a goal in a Fifa World Cup final. After that triumph in 2018, he then lived out every child’s dream by scoring a hat-trick in a World Cup final, albeit on the losing side in 2022.
That strange combination of being able to keep that match ball but not being able to lift the trophy in Qatar is indicative of how Mbappe’s career can be viewed currently: plenty of individual accolades, but not enough team success.
That might seem harsh when talking about a player that has won 16 domestic club trophies in France, but ever since PSG found themselves elevated to a whole new financial playing field under their Qatari ownership, the only trophy that’s mattered has been the Uefa Champions League and they have famously yet to get over the line in that tournament.
As a player, Mbappe’s ability to perform on any stage was clear for all to see from his days of scoring regularly for Monaco in the Champions League. With speed, a strong physique, elegance on the ball and a killer instinct in front of goal, it was hard to believe that he was 18 years old at the time.
Then came his transfer to PSG as well as unforgettable performances on the international stage. Two goals in an epic 2018 World Cup quarterfinal thriller against Argentina. That crowning moment goal against Croatia in the final. It was a tournament performance that put his name on all fans’ lips.
Since then, there has been plenty of silverware, goals and praise, but it hasn’t all gone quite as planned for Mbappe in his twenties.
191 Ligue 1 goals in 246 matches is an amazing scoring rate, but it will always be viewed with an asterisk by critics as being not quite as impressive as the likes of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo since Mbappe scored them all in what’s commonly viewed as the weakest of Europe’s “big five” leagues.
Despite all his goals, his image to the PSG faithful has been soured due to the perception that he’s used Real Madrid’s interest in him down the years as a way of getting more money out of the French club. As a fanbase that’s already sensitive on the issue of players being motivated by money instead of pride for the club, it’s the type of behaviour that will never go down well in Paris.
As for his international career, it was always going to be tough to match up to those initial World Cup winning exploits and the team haven’t won a major tournament since.
It was a disappointing Euro 2020 for Les Bleus with a Round of 16 exit. Mbappe failed to score in the tournament and missed a decisive shootout penalty against Switzerland.
There was success in the less prestigious Uefa Nations League a few months later. Then came the World Cup in Qater where Mbappe claimed the Golden Boot but didn’t return home as a world champion.
So what next for Mbappe? Now with a prolonged move to Real Madrid cemented and a big international tournament coming up, it’s a key period in his career.
A successful Euro campaign will reduce all disappointments from the last two major tournaments. Completing a World Cup and Euro Golden Boot double will be something only Gerd Muller has achieved before.
Now that he’s the national team captain, Euro 2024 provides a chance for Mbappe to prove once and for all that he’s not just a world class individual player but a world class team player too.