Qatar 2022 | Star player Kylian Mbappe can help France join Italy and Brazil

05 November 2022 - 09:57 By SITHEMBISO DINDI
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France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal against Kazakhstan.
France's Kylian Mbappe celebrates scoring their second goal against Kazakhstan.
Image: REUTERS/Gonzalo Fuentes/File Photo

While it would take an excellent team effort for France to defend the Fifa World Cup title, they will need Kylian Mbappe to take the lead.

There are only two nations, Italy and Brazil, that have been able to defend the World Cup title and the French are eager to join them.

This is not an easy thing to achieve, but having a player like Mbappe in your team makes it possible.

As a teenager, Mbappe played a big role in helping the French national side lift the trophy in 2018.

He achieved that as an inexperienced player but one with exceptional talent.

This time around, the Paris-born star, who is now 23 years old, heads to Qatar not just as an experienced player, but as one of the top footballers in the world.

A more experienced and wiser Mbappe is certainly going to do more damage this time around.

Another great thing for France is that the Paris St Germain star appears to be in great form.

Mbappe, one of the youngest players to win the World Cup, recently became the youngest footballer to reach 40 Uefa Champions League goals.

The French superstar is also leading the goalscoring charts in Ligue 1 with 11 goals from 12 matches and he is definitely the best version of himself at the moment.

That shows that he would be a tough customer to deal with at the World Cup.

The great thing is that while he is expected to take the lead for the French national team, he is well-supported by other exceptionally talented players in that squad.

Club: PSG

Previous clubs: AS Monaco

National caps (goals): 59 (28)

Previous World Cup performance: 2018 — 4 goals

International honours: 2018 Fifa World Cup champions.

Club honours: Ligue 1: 2016—17, Coupe de la Ligue runner-up: 2016—17 (Monaco), Ligue 1: 2017—18, 2018—19, 2019—20, 2021—22, Coupe de France: 2017—18, 2019—20, 2020—21; runner-up: 2018—19, Coupe de la Ligue: 2017—18, 2019—20, Trophée des Champions: 2019, 2020, Uefa Champions League runner-up: 2019—20 (PSG)

Though there are so many people who are not happy with his role or “the powers” that have been given to the player by PSG, Mbappe knows how to lead a group of superstars. At PSG he plays with Argentina's Lionel Messi and Brazil’s Neymar.

France are a well-balanced team from their goalkeeping department with Hugo Lloris, Alphonse Areola and Steve Mandanda to their unbelievable defence which has the likes of Raphael Verane and Wesley Fofana.

The exciting midfield has players such as young Eduardo Camavinga, Aurelien Tchouameni and the amazing attacking department Karim Benzema, Ousmane Dembele and Antoine Griezmann.

Having such a team allows the man of the moment to play without too much pressure and to do his thing.

Mbappe has 59 national team caps and he found the back of the net on 28 occasions.

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