The 25-year-old star could leave PSG in the summer and what comes next will influence his legacy, while football is changing so much, with its tactical evolution to the point where players France must prove its worth once again.
In perhaps the most exciting moment of the 2022 World Cup final, the French star scored the most impressive goal of the entire tournament at a speed of 123.34km/h. There is no quicker ending. The swirling volley was both delicate and explosive, seemingly symbolizing that there was no stopping Kyabje at that moment. It was a match where he faced Lionel Messi, both players reaching the peak of their abilities by reaching the depths of their determination.
The Paris Saint-Germain striker may not have been as successful in winning two consecutive World Cups as Pele but he seems perfectly poised to succeed Messi as the next best player in the world. Mbappe’s entire campaign in Qatar was captivating, a hat-trick in the final to become top scorer is something that not everyone can reach. But since then, Mbappe has done very little.
There was a spectacular long-range goal against little Gibraltar, and that was pretty much all that was on the field. Mbappe’s career since the World Cup has been characterized by a series of off-field controversies, largely due to his rift with PSG over their refusal to sign a new contract last summer. Certainly nothing in the Champions League and worse still there is little expected from him this season when PSG are no longer contenders for the European title even though that is what they crave most.
It is said a lot that Mbappe’s two juniors, Erling Haaland and Jude Bellingham, are the ones leading most of the Champions League. They are in a much better position to have more impact and that has fostered the belief that they can surpass Mbappe. Even with Mbappe leaving PSG, the question now is where will he go when the two most powerful teams in Europe currently have their own heroes. And is Kyabpe in danger of wasting his immense talent?
That might sound odd for someone who lit up two World Cups and two finals there. But the reality is that the focus of world football has shifted to club matches, where the impact is most lasting today. Yet Mbappe has spent his entire career so far in a major tournament with few viewers like Ligue 1. That’s why he’s not mentioned as much as Haaland or Bellingham.
PSG executives expected him to go to Real Madrid but that is no longer considered certain. There has been an offer made but the salary is still not as high as what Mbappe expected. President Florentino Perez also became disappointed with the 25-year-old player. As for Mbappe, he gradually realized he should have left many years ago. In the words of a former PSG coach, it wasn’t exactly an environment that encouraged excellence.
The problem is that Mbappe’s options are now strangely limited. When the story revolves around money, only a few clubs can pay the salary that Mbappe wants. Besides, the market has changed, the biggest clubs today want to pay the most for young potential talents rather than buying a 25-year-old star like Mbappe. Not far away, Man City and Real are implementing this policy.
In addition to economic reasons, there are also other tactical fluctuations. Modern football has become so systematic and based on crazy pressing that clubs are always in need of young, energetic players. For this reason, people say Mbappe is wasting his talent. The French striker became an excessive individualist. There is no doubt about his talent, but is he suitable for clubs that emphasize tactical elements? The greatest irony is that the two clubs that are likely to be Mbappe’s future destinations, Real Madrid and PSG, have now completely applied this tactical approach.
There is no other way, Mbappe must succeed at PSG and in the Champions League this season. It was almost his last chance to reach the pinnacle of fame and open up other options for the future. After making it through the group stage uncomfortably, in the round of 16, PSG have a potential opponent to help them go far.
After losing to Bayern Munich in the 2020 final and being eliminated by Manchester City in the 2021 semi-finals, PSG has failed to get past the round of 16 in the last two seasons. The unfortunate defeat in the second leg against Real Madrid and then against Bayern forced PSG to review its entire transfer policy and hire Luis Enrique to build the club in this direction.
Now the French champions must look to press their luck against Real Sociedad even though their three-match winless streak in the latest Champions League is their longest in a season since going five. did not win from the group stage to the quarterfinals of the 2014-15 season. PSG’s success will largely fall on Real Madrid’s Mbappe. The French star has scored 43 goals in 67 appearances in the Champions League and if he scores a goal in this match, he will surpass Raul (43) to become the second highest scorer in the tournament at 25 years old or younger, just behind Lionel. Messi (59).
Furthermore, PSG will be without Nuno Mendes, Layvin Kurzawa, Presnel Kimpembe, Milan Skriniar and injured reserve goalkeeper Sergio Rico. This is the reason that last weekend, coach Enrique had to let Mbappe, Gianluigi Donnarumma and Marquinhos rest. Although their opponents are underestimated, their performance in the group stage can give Imanol Alguacil’s team confidence that they can overcome PSG. They are undefeated and top Group D ahead of Inter after 2 wins over Benfica, win over Red Bull Salzburg and 3 draws.
This is the first meeting between PSG and Real Sociedad, although the Ligue 1 team has been eliminated 5 of the last 6 times they met their Spanish opponents in the Champions League knockout round. PSG’s only success against teams from Spain was when they eliminated Barcelona in the 2020-21 round of 16, with Mbappe’s hat-trick inspiring. The French striker is the last player to have 3 goals against a Spanish team in the knockout round of the tournament.
While PSG has struggled against Spanish opponents in recent years, Sociedad has lost 3 of 6 times against French opponents in all competitions.
