Mbappe’s Courageous But Justified Actions Comparisons To Pele

Although Kylian Mbappe was unfortunate to lose the World Cup final on penalties as Argentina overcame France, the 23-year-old demonstrated on Sunday (Dec. 18) why comparisons to Pele are fair.

The PSG forward’s hat-trick was just the second in World Cup final history, but his quest to become the youngest two-time champion since Pele in 1962 was crushed in Qatar.

Mbappe, who turns 24 on Tuesday, became the first player to score in consecutive World Cup finals and won the Golden Boot award with eight goals.

Mbappe, who had been relegated to the background for the most of the game, suddenly sprang to life 10 minutes from time, scoring two goals in the span of 97 seconds to save the defending champions.

Mbappe, who was a little player as Argentina surged to a 2-0 lead, buried a penalty past Emiliano Martinez and then, after a great interchange with Marcus Thuram, equalized with a stunning first-time volley low into the corner.

Mbappe calmly slammed home his second penalty shot, joining England’s 1966 hero Geoff Hurst as the only other player to score three goals in a World Cup final, just as it seemed that France had lost when Lionel Messi scored again in extra time.

Mbappe is dispelling any concerns about who will replace him and Cristiano Ronaldo as football’s next superstar, even if it was Messi who triumphantly raised the World Cup trophy – eight years after the excruciating sorrow of losing the final in Brazil.

With 36 goals, he is now sixth on France’s all-time scoring record, one behind Ballon d’Or winner Karim Benzema, whose absence in Qatar was made up for by Mbappe’s brilliance.

Over the previous 50 years, only Brazil’s Ronaldo has scored as many goals in a single World Cup. Pele’s previous record of seven goals in the finals has been surpassed by his 12 goals before the age of 24.