This summer’s World Cup was one of the most exciting tournaments in recent memory. It’s not about the team. Because of two men.
We can all admit that elite European football has become very tactical in recent years. Systems dominate individual moments. Rigidity trumps creative freedom, replacing surprising strikes with methodically constructed tap-ins.
I’m not saying it’s wrong or uninteresting. But the story building between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe and their brilliant battle is what makes this World Cup a must-watch. And rightly so.
The fact that the two top scorers in World Cup history each scored eight goals is a special event in itself. But it’s the way he goes back and forth like a boxer that adds a whole other layer to this.
June 16th. Mbappe scored twice in France’s opening match against Senegal. June 17th. Messi countered with a hat trick against Jordan. On June 22, Messi was the first to score a double, but a few hours later Mbappe recorded a double of his own. And so on and so on until here.
This isn’t just a jab landing. They are the ones who make hay in the form of goals and magic moments, but not enough to leave others in the dust.
What made Mbappe’s latest reaction against Morocco even more surprising was how eerily similar it was to Messi’s last appearance. They missed a first-half penalty when the goalkeeper dived low to their left, and then scored the decisive goal in the second half to keep things going.
Mbappe bounced in from a missed penalty kick to open the scoring for France.
Example: “Anything you can do, I can do better.” It is a table tennis match with the most dramatic ending on the grandest stage.
We saw it four years ago. Mbappe scored a hat trick, but Messi lifted the trophy. It wasn’t about Argentina or France then. In fact, there will be a lot less about them now.
This World Cup will be Messi’s last World Cup. He is Mr. World Cup. Regardless of whether he retains the crown or not, the mantle he holds will be passed on to Mbappe. The Frenchman might as well come out on top and take it from him at the end of the tournament. Collectively and individually.
1966 Charlton vs Beckenbauer. 1998 Ronaldo vs Zidane. It’s proof that there was another great individual performance at the World Cup. But there is no one like this. Nothing is as neck and neck as what we are witnessing here.
The question is who will deliver the knockout blow.
Keane: “Mbappe takes responsibility for every situation”
Among Mbappe’s fans throughout this summer’s tournament is Sky Sports’ Roy Keane. The Irishman waxed lyrical about the Real Madrid star after the win over Morocco, insisting he was ‘in charge of every situation’ he faced on the pitch.
“Good players decide what they do,” Keane said. ITV Sports.
“I can be critical of the defenders, but they are afraid that he can spin them and fall behind, leaving the defenders unaware of what to do. Mbappe is in charge of every situation.”
“There are a lot of good players who are fast, but these lads are like lightning, so defenders have to make decisions on the fly and that’s not always the right thing to do.
“They are electric. You can’t catch these lads. As soon as the defender tries to get back into the game, they leave the space and the French lads move at their pace. It’s a happy day for them. You can’t do anything about the speed. If they are that electrifying, you can’t do anything about it.”
Keane also jumped into Mbappe’s defense for a missed penalty, his worst moment of the night.
Kylian Mbappe was denied a penalty after a long delay waiting for the kick.
The forward’s effort was ordinary with Yassine Bounou comfortably held on to his left. However, protests from Morocco over a possible handball in the build-up forced Mbappe to wait a total of 3 minutes and 10 seconds before winning the penalty and scoring.
Keane insisted at half-time: “It’s not fair. It’s unfair for him to wait more than three minutes.”
“It’s a tense situation. Why wait more than three minutes? It’s unfair to the world-class players. The attackers have less time and it’s not right to give the advantage to the goalkeeper.”
Boston’s Big Moments
25 – penalty! Mazraoui lunged at Mbappe to concede a penalty.
28 – You missed a penalty kick! Mbappe’s ordinary spot kick was blocked by Bono.
35 – get! Bouaddi was taken out by Doue, but the shot was blocked.
45+2 –bar! Digne’s mid-range shot hit the crossbar.
60 – target! Mbappe found the far corner to attack France forward.
66 – target! Dembele’s shot sailed past Bono for a two-point lead.
76 – sub! Mbappe left without any injuries after the crash.
