Boy Wonder Kylian Mbappe has brought unparalleled talent to football, the kind that hasn’t been seen since the days of Pele (some would disagree). However, winning the World Cup as a 19-year-old has already legitimized him. No matter what happens now, Kylian Mbappe will surely be remembered for equaling two Pele records. He also erased a number of records from fellow countryman Thiery Henry. Mbappe’s incredible talents have been duly rewarded with accolades and of course record deals.
Kylian Mbappe Biography (Age)
Kylian Mbappé Lottin was born on December 20, 1998, in Paris, France. He started playing football when he was little and started his career at AS Bondy, a club where his father was a youth coach. Mbappe’s skills were immediately evident. Antonio Riccardi, one of his coaches, observed that the then 6-year-old Mbappe was the best kid he had coached in 15 years.
From AS Bondy, Mbappe moved to the Clairefontaine academy and it didn’t take long for the big European clubs to call each other. From Real Madrid to Bayern Munich, Manchester City and Chelsea. He traveled to west London to try his hand at Chelsea. However, he decided to stay close to home by choosing Monaco. Mbappe joined Monaco’s youth academy in 2013 and two years later, at the age of 16, he joined the senior team.
Mbappe was ready to break records and he just did that. Wiping away a lot of previously defined by Thierry Henry. These include becoming the youngest first-team player at Monaco and the youngest first-team goalscorer. Monaco reinforced his stay in the team by offering him his first professional contract on March 6, 2016. It was a 3-year contract which would keep him in the side until 2019.
Mbappe went on to set records in European competitions putting him on the radar of big teams. He was loaned out by PSG at the end of August 2017 and was later signed by a member of the club, for a record transfer fee which made him the most expensive teenager. Mbappe’s contributions to France’s French football team were instrumental in helping them qualify for the World Cup in Russia.
In a World Cup qualifier against the Netherlands on August 31, 2017, Mbappe scored his first international goal. He also shone in the Russia 2018 game by scoring his first and only goal for his team in the group stage against Peru. Mbappe left the World Cup with the FIFA World Cup Best Young Player award.
His parents
Mbappe has his parents to thank for his sporting genes running in his blood. His father Wilfried Mbappé, originally from Cameroon, was a football player for many years before he started coaching. His mother, on the other hand, was a renowned handball player who played in the first division of France. Her name is Fayza Lamari and she is from Alegria, which makes Mbappe of Camorunian and Algerian descent, which explains her huge fan base of African nations.
Mbappe’s father has been a youth coach for ASBondy for 25 years. Before being offered the job, Wilfried worked with kids in his neighborhood, helping nurture them in sports. AS Bondy president Atmane Airouche had nothing but kind words to say about Mbappe’s father during his interview with the BBC.
Before Mbappe’s parents had him, they already had an adopted son, Jires Kembo-Ekoko, who is also a professional football player. Like his brother, he plays as a striker for Turkish club Bursaspor and is a former junior international for France. Mbappe has a younger biological brother, Ethan Mbappé, who plays for PSG under 12.
Current club and salary
Kylian Mbappe’s current club is French Ligue1 side Paris Saint Germain (PSG). He first borrowed from the club before being signed for a record fee of €135million. The operation allows him to receive a salary of 17.5 million euros.
Mbappe has donated his entire £384,000 World Cup salary to a sports association. His charity, called Premiers de Cordée, works with disabled and hospitalized children.
Other Football Star Facts
1. Mbappe is 5ft 10in tall.
2. As a child, he idolized Cristiano Ronaldo and imitated his style of play.
3. While at Monaco, Mbappe helped the club win their maiden Ligue 1 title of the 2016/2017 season for the first time in 17 years.
4. Many of his teammates described him as much too mature for his age due to his generous and respectful personality.
5. Mbappe won a hat-trick in his first season at PSG, including Ligue 1, Coupe de France and Coupe de la Ligue.