Despite missing out on the ultimate prize when France fell short to Argentina in a 4-2 penalty shootout defeat on Sunday, Kylian Mbappe was the standout player and produced one of the best individual performances in a World Cup tournament.
Prior to the beginning of the world spectacle, the Paris Saint-Germain star was one of the players to lookout for in the 2022 World Cup edition, and he lived up to that expectation.
Following his brace in France’s 3-1 victory over Poland in the round of 16, the PSG fronts man broke the record of Brazilian legend, Pele, of being the second ever youngest player to score eight goals below the age of 24 in a single World Cup tournament.
Apart from him being quiet throughout the first half of the final, Mbappe proved why he is deemed the greatest play his generation has ever seen – when he brought his side back into the game in dramatic form, banging in three goals to take the game all the way to penalties.
His hat-trick in the final took his goal tally to eight and winning the Golden boot award, breaking the record of scoring the most goals in a single World Cup tournament – more than Pele, Mario Kempes and James Rodriquez – who are all sitting on six goals.
He also became the first player in the history of the men’s World Cup to score a hat-trick in a final since 1966.
The French stalwart has now reached 12 goals in 14 games, surpassing Diego Maradona and Cristiano Ronaldo, and one shy away from Argentina’s Lionel Messi – making him the sixth highest men’s World Cup top goal scorer.
At just 23 years old, Mbappe has broken World Cup records of legends of the game and is now the driving force of French football. With many more years ahead of him, the title of the “greatest player of all time” will be in great hands after the Messi and Ronaldo era.
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