The talk of the World Cup in Russia has been Kylian Mbappé.
With Neymar, Lionel Messi, and Cristiano Ronaldo all out by the semi-finals, the young Frenchman has emerged as the star of what was an incredible World Cup. Only 19, Mbappé lit up soccer’s premier national tournament with his maturity, pace, and four incredible goals, including this as France beat Croatia 4-2 in today’s final:
Mbappé, who grew up in the deprived banlieues of Paris, plays for Paris Saint-Germain, where he is on loan from AS Monaco, but will be signed by the Parisian club for 180 million euros ($211 million) this summer, making him the second-most expensive player of all time after his club’s Brazilian teammate, Neymar.
France last won the World Cup on July 12, 1998. Mbappé was born on Dec. 20, 1998.
Mbappé is the second-youngest player to ever score in a World Cup final, after a certain Pelé who was 17 when he scored in 1958.