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ST. PETERSBURG, Russia – Six minutes after his first World Cup semi-final, Kylian Mbappé caught the ball in midfield. He could have played the ball back, deliberately preparing for the French attack. Or patiently advanced, slowly creating momentum. Everything that was like that would have been perfectly normal.
But nothing about Kylian Mbappé is normal.
Then he faked to his left, rushed to sprint and blew in front of a Belgian defender who let himself go. After 6 seconds, he was in full attack, shooting a cross in the center of the penalty area until the foot of his teammate Antoine Griezmann, almost setting a goal before the Belgian defenders only realized the match had begun
. of the night went into the victory of France 1-0. Samuel Umtiti scored the French goal alone, but there was little questioning about the most electric player on the pitch. Once again, it's Mbappé, the 19-year-old star of this World Cup.
Mbappé was already one of the most talented players in the world before the start of this tournament. But being the first teenager to score two goals in a World Cup match since Pelé has a fun way to point out even casual fans. And Mbappé did exactly that against Argentina.
Tuesday's clash against Belgium, however, was undoubtedly more subtle, but revealing of what makes Mbappé different from any other talent on earth. He did not need to score to affect the game dramatically. He embarrassed the defenders. He set up teammates. He played with a panache from the school yard that is usually absent from the stifling final stages of the football World Cup.
"In recent football, we have never seen that," said teammate Olivier Giroud. "And he can improve again and again."
The blur of Mbappé became in these first seconds only more flashy and more dangerous throughout the game. Barely a minute later, Mbappé took over the ball midfield and stood upright, foot to the top of the ball, as he played with his pals. His performance the rest of the course confirmed that. His very presence, the threat of what he could do, would be enough to make a defense vibrate
. All this to say: he was defeating the defenders in all directions, on the ground, in the air, attacking and setting up. "He has exceptional talent," said Belgian manager Roberto Martinez.
And then there were times when he beat the defenders with the back of his foot. Because Mbappé, apparently, is better with the back of his foot than almost everyone is at the front of theirs.
The first back heel came at a moment of no consequence in the 30th minute, when Mbappé jumped in the air and sent a pass back. This is how Mbappé plays in a nutshell, making it absurdly difficult to watch. And most importantly: it's effective
This is built at the most dazzling moment of the game. Pogba slipped a pass to Mbappé's right foot, while Mbappé stood back to the goal. Mbappé went from his own right foot to his left, and with that left foot sent a back pass, no-look, to Giroud, just in front of the net. It was both simple and striking. Giroud did not finish the chance, but it was an instant viral highlight that captured how easily the French Mbappé attack.
If all this was not enough, he even played points in defense in the last 20 minutes with Belgium in attack. "It's true that it's not the most fun," he says, "but you have to do it."
Mbappé managed to make it fun. Just a few minutes ago, Belgium sank deeply into French territory. The ball was near Mbappé but he was in an uncomfortable position to clear it. In a way, it did not look embarrassing. Because he sent the ball, smoothly, with the back of his heel.
Write to Andrew Beaton at [email protected]
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