Todd Kortemeier - Kylian Mbappe: World Soccer Sensation

STAR ATHLETES

KYLIAN MBAPPE

WORLD SOCCER SENSATION

BY TODD KORTEMEIER

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042019
092019

Cover Photo: Michel Euler/AP Images
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Editor: Patrick Donnelly
Series Designer: Laura Graphenteen

LIBRARY OF CONGRESS CONTROL NUMBER: 2018967355

PUBLISHERS CATALOGING-IN-PUBLICATION DATA

Names: Kortemeier, Todd, author.

Title: Kylian Mbappe: world soccer sensation / by Todd Kortemeier
Other title: World soccer sensation

Description: Minneapolis, Minnesota: Abdo Publishing, 2020 | Series: Star athletes |
Includes online resources and index.

Identifiers: ISBN 9781532119903 (lib. bdg.) | ISBN 9781532174735 (ebook) | ISBN
9781644940976 (pbk.)

Subjects: LCSH: Mbapp, Kylian, 1998---Juvenile literature. | Soccer players--France-
Biography--Juvenile literature. | Paris-Saint-Germain-Football-Club--Juvenile
literature. | Sports--Biography--Juvenile literature.

Classification: DDC 796.334092 [B]--dc23

CONTENTS

CHAPTER ONE

COMEBACK KID

I

n 2018, both the French and Argentinian
national teams had won the World Cup before.
But because the two world powerhouses were
facing off in the first Round of 16 matchup, only
one of them would advance to the quarterfinals of
the 2018 World Cup.

Each was trying to win the cup after a long
layoff. France had won its most recent title on
home soil 20 years earlier. For Argentina, it had
been 32 years. The teams hopes were tied to
forward Lionel Messi, one of the greatest players in
the world.

Any conversation about how far Argentina
could advance began and ended with Messi. But
by the end of the match, nobody would be talking
about Messi. They would be talking about the
worlds next superstar, Kylian Mbappe. And he
played for France.

Kylian Mbappe came through in style at his first World Cup.

MBAPPE VS. MESSI

Mbappe and Messi were both
among the youngest players
ever to play for their respective
countries. Both were teenagers
when they made their World
Cup debuts. Each came onto
the world stage as a potential
superstar in the making. But
Mbappe made more of an
impact in his first World Cup.
Messi played in just three of
five Argentina matches in 2006.
He scored one goal, making
him the sixth-youngest goal
scorer in World Cup history
at 18 years, 11 months, and
23 days. Mbappe became
the twelfth youngest when
he scored against Peru. He
was 19 years, six months,
and one day. The youngest
in history was Pel, who was
just over 17 and one-half.

HIGH
EXPECTATIONS

Mbappe was only 19. But
the soccer world had already
known about him for years
from his heroics with his club
teams, AS Monaco and Paris
Saint-Germain (PSG) of Frances
Ligue 1. He made his Ligue 1
debut at 16, becoming the
youngest Monaco player ever. It
was one of Mbappes numerous
youth-related milestones,
including becoming the
second-youngest-ever player
for the French national team.

But could he handle the huge stage that was the
World Cup? Carrying a team to a world championship
was a lot to ask of a teenager. So far, he had played a
crucial role for the Bluesor Les Bleus, as they are called,
because of their bright blue jerseys. In a group stage
match against Peru, he scored the only goal in a 10 win.

WORLD CUP COACH

The Argentina match was the
eightieth for France coach
Didier Deschamps. With it, he
became the longest-serving
coach in the history of the
national team. Deschamps
knew a thing or two about
winning a World Cup. He was
a defensive midfielder on the
1998 France team. Deschamps
made 103 appearances for
France before he retired in
2000. After retiring, he watched
France have its worst World
Cup performance ever in 2002.
France did not score a single
goal and finished 28th out of
32 teams. Seeing how that
team played so poorly after
winning it all helped him when
he became coach of France
in 2012. He stressed to his
players the attitude of never
taking anything for granted.

That game was revealing
of Frances performance
as a whole in the group
stage. It needed an own
goal by Australia to prevail
in its opening match, 21.
Then after narrowly beating