9781422270738

WORLD CLASS FOOTBALLERS SOCCER’S BEST PLAYERS

CRISTIANO RONALDO

ERLING HAALAND

KYLIAN MBAPPÉ

LIONEL MESSI

ROBERT LEWANDOWSKI

WORLD CLASS FOOTBALLERS SOCCER’S BEST PLAYERS

GREG BACH

MIAMI

PO Box 221876, Hollywood, FL 33022 (866) MCP-BOOK (toll-free) • www.masoncrest.com

Copyright © 2024 by Mason Crest, an imprint of National Highlights, Inc. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping, or any information storage and retrieval system, without permission from the publisher. First printing 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 Series ISBN: 978-1-4222-4745-7 Hardcover ISBN: 978-1-4222-4748-8 ebook ISBN: 978-1-4222-7073-8 Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Bach, Greg, author. Title: Kylian Mbappé / Greg Bach. Description: Hollywood, FL : Mason Crest, [2024] | Series: World class footballers: soccer’s best players | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2023027273 | ISBN 9781422247488 (hardback) | ISBN 9781422270738 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Mbappé , Kylian, 1998---Juvenile literature. | Soccer players--France-- Biography--Juvenile literature. Classification: LCC GV942.7.M3928 B33 2024 | DDC 796.334092 [B]--dc23/eng/20230623

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Chapter 1: Greatest Moments................................................7 Chapter 2: Club Dreams......................................................21 Chapter 3: National Pride....................................................35 Chapter 4: Words Count......................................................47 Chapter 5: Off the Pitch.......................................................61 Series Glossary of Key Terms...............................................76 Further Reading & Internet Resources.................................77 Index................................................................................. 78 Author Biography & Credits.................................................80 CONTENTS

KEY ICONS TO LOOK FOR:

Words to Understand: These words with their easy-to-understand definitions will increase the reader’s understanding of the text while building vocabulary skills. Sidebars: This boxed material within the main text allows readers to build knowledge, gain insights, explore possibilities, and broaden their perspectives by weaving together additional information to provide realistic and holistic perspectives. Educational Videos: Readers can view videos by scanning our QR codes, providing them with additional educational content to supplement the text. Examples include news coverage, moments in history, speeches, iconic sports moments, and much more!

Text-Dependent Questions: These questions send the reader back to the text for more careful attention to the evidence presented there.

Research Projects: Readers are pointed toward areas of further inquiry connected to each chapter. Suggestions are provided for projects that encourage deeper research and analysis.

WORDS TO UNDERSTAND

barrage: bombardment; abundance; deluge penchant: preference; fondness; liking prodigious: enormous; huge; immense tussle: struggle; scuffle; fight

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé

CHAPTER 1

Greatest Moments

GIANT OF THE GAME The soccer landscape has been defined in this era by a trio of iconic players—Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, and Neymar—but now a mesmerizing young megastar has emerged, turning heads, trampling the record books, and seizing his place alongside the giants of the game. Kylian Mbappé, raised in a low-income neighborhood in the shadows of Paris, has become one of France’s most famous, beloved, and heroic figures. Bursting onto soccer’s grandest stage as a teenager at the 2018 FIFA World Cup, he did the unthinkable, scoring a goal in France’s epic 4–2 win over Croatia in the title match. That fantastic feat linked him with arguably the greatest ever to play the game, legendary Brazilian striker Pelé, as the only two teenagers to ever score a goal in a World Cup championship match. Ever since joining Monaco (a club in France’s top flight Ligue 1) at the hard-to-believe age of 16 and hopping to world-class powerhouse Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) a couple of seasons later, Mbappé has been

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Greatest Moments

a whirlwind of prolific production. Employing a lethal blend of talent and tenaciousness, there isn’t a more terrifying sight for defenders in the game today than a hard-charging Mbappé thundering down the pitch with the ball at his feet. Bordering on the impossible to contain, the deadly striker operates with a surgeon’s precision and is an extraordinary finisher with either foot. Able to shrug off contact in the open field and masterfully move in those congested areas around the net, Mbappé creates never-ending chaos for defenders and punishes goalkeepers with his arsenal of slick shot-making skills. SPECIAL SCORER Competing in Ligue 1, the top professional league in France, Mbappé has been equal parts dominant and dynamic, delivering awe-inspiring goals in bundles via pure brilliance. Since 2018, he has led the league in scoring every season. Indicative of his all-around play, Mbappé is terrific at monopolizing the attention of defenses to set up scoring opportunities for teammates, as his league-leading 17 assists during the 2021–2022 season attests. A three-time French Player of the Year selection among his collection of individual accolades, the French star is a passionate team-first competitor whose laser focus has helped his country’s squad hoist some of the biggest trophies in soccer. Along with the World Cup, he sparked France’s run to the 2021 UEFA Nations League title, where Mbappé struck for goals in the semifinals and finals on his way to scooping up the Alipay Top Scorer Trophy for his explosive excellence. FASCINATING FIGURE With a massive and ever-growing following on social media, along with a variety of off-the-pitch interests that include operating his Inspired by KM association that has been doing tremendous work helping children in need, Mbappé has evolved into a true giant of the game and one of the sport’s most fascinating figures.

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé

GREATEST MOMENTS

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Greatest Moments

WINS WORLD CUP Kylian Mbappé put a giant exclamation point on a career just gaining steam when the talented teen played a pivotal role in France’s march to the 2018 World Cup title in Russia. Recipient of the tournament’s FIFA Young Player Award—he was an easy choice—the 19-year-old was dazzling and destructive throughout the tournament. Mbappé’s two-goal effort in an intense Round of 16 matchup with Argentina was the difference as France squirmed out of big-time trouble and advanced with a 4–3 win. In the title match, he scored his fourth goal of the tournament late in the second half in the 4–2 victory over Croatia, joining the great Pelé as the only teenagers to ever put the ball in the back of the net in a World Cup championship match. Plus, simply playing in the title game was draped in historical significance, as Mbappé was just the third teen to do so, joining Pelé and Italy’s Guiseppe Bergomi.

Kylian Mbappé helped France win the 2018 World Cup in Russia as a teenager, which included scoring a goal in the title match, something that hadn’t been done by a teenager since Pelé in 1958.

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé

FANTASTIC FOUR After a surprising and uncharacteristic six-match stretch for Kylian Mbappé to open the Group D 2022 World Cup qualifying matches for France, in which he went scoreless, he unleashed a barrage of brilliance against Kazakhstan that had been simmering during the drought. The striker produced a first-half hat trick, striking for his team’s first three goals before 35 minutes had elapsed, and then added another in the closing minutes of the match as France rolled to an 8–0 victory in front of a joyous home crowd in Paris. The win clinched the top spot in their group and nailed down a coveted berth in Qatar for the World Cup. The four-goal outburst was the first by a French player since Just Fontaine had done so in 1958, and Mbappé’s hat trick was significant as well, as French fans hadn’t witnessed one of those by one of their players in a meaningful match since Dominique Rocheteau tallied three times in 1985.

Kylian Mbappé scored four goals for France in its 8–0 win against Kazakhstan to secure a berth in the 2022 FIFA World Cup.

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Greatest Moments

FAB FINISH FOR FOURTH GOLDEN BOOT

Kylian Mbappé has a penchant for delivering big goals whenever the moment requires one (or more!), and that was certainly the case as he took the field for the final match of the 2021–2022 Ligue 1 season. Clinging to a one-goal lead over Monaco’s Wissam Ben Yedder for top scorer in Ligue 1 and uninterested in relinquishing his grip on the scoring title that he had claimed the previous three seasons, Mbappé went out and produced a hat trick in a 5–0 win over Metz to hold off Yedder (who scored once in his final match). The performance capped off a season-long scoring spree in which the dynamic forward struck 28 times in 35 matches on his way to claiming the Golden Boot award for a fourth consecutive season. Mbappé also had a league-best 17 assists. Mbappé and Ben Yedder were joint winners of the Golden Boot in the 2019–2020 season when they each scored 18 goals.

Kylian Mbappé scored a hat trick against Metz in 2022 on the way to winning his fourth straight Golden Boot.

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé

TREMENDOUS TEEN The hype surrounding Kylian Mbappé was already rocketing off the charts when the talented teen took the field for France at the UEFA European Under-19 championships in 2016—and he somehow surpassed all the incredibly lofty expectations! His arsenal of skills was on full display in Germany all tournament long, culminating in France’s 4–0 win over Italy in the championship match. Mbappé presented major problems for teams, making his biggest imprint in the semifinal tussle with Portugal. After the Portuguese took a 1–0 lead just three minutes into the match, the French star dug in and went to work, overwhelming Portugal with his budding greatness. Mbappé picked up an assist on France’s first goal to level the match, and then during a spectacular eight-minute stretch midway through the second half, he scored two giant goals (he scored five times in the tournament) to propel France into the final with a 3–1 win.

Kylian Mbappé helped lead France past Portugal in the semifinals of the U-19 UEFA European Championships on their way to the title in 2016.

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Greatest Moments

STRIKES IN PARIS SAINT-GERMAIN DEBUT

It certainly didn’t take Kylian Mbappé long to get acquainted with his new teammates after he made the heavily publicized and much talked about jump from Monaco to rival Paris Saint-Germain. Making his debut in front of more than 25,000 fans in an away match at Metz, Mbappé shrugged off any nerves that may have accompanied joining PSG’s high-powered attack and joined right in on the parade of goals the club produced in rolling to a 5–1 win in the autumn of 2017. His dynamic debut was highlighted by a beautiful play in which he tracked a loose ball just outside the box and thumped it into the back of the net for what would turn out to be the match-winner. The explosive shot, delivered off Mbappé’s powerful right foot, was sandwiched between goals by talented teammates Edinson Cavani and Neymar, keeping PSG’s perfect start to the season intact with its fifth win in as many outings.

Kylian Mbappé scored in his debut for Paris Saint Germain in a 5–1 win over Metz in 2017.

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé

SCORES FIRST INTERNATIONAL GOAL FOR FRANCE During a World Cup qualifying match against the Netherlands in the summer of 2017, Kylian Mbappé gave the world a peek at his prodigious talent while collecting his first goal for France in international action at the senior level. With France comfortably ahead 3–0, and in the midst of extra time, he put one poor defender in knots, twisting and turning as he charged on the attack. Delivering a tidy pass that was immediately returned to him, Mbappé crushed it past diving goalkeeper Jasper Cillessen to punctuate the 4–0 win in front of more than 79,000 mostly French fans. At just 18 years of age, he became the youngest to score for the senior French national team since Georges Lech had done so as an 18-year-old back in 1963. The goal, Mbappé’s lone tally during the qualifying matches, was a precursor of things to come when the World Cup got underway the following summer.

During a 2017 World Cup qualifying match against the Netherlands, Kylian Mbappé struck for his first goal for France’s senior national team.

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Greatest Moments

INCREDIBLE IN ITALY Kylian Mbappé has taken a real liking to the UEFA Nations League, the newest event to grace the European soccer landscape. He put his stamp on the 2021 tournament with yet another dazzling display of dominance while leading France to the title. Thanks to his two goals and two assists in the two games in Italy, France took out Belgium 3–2 in the semifinals in Turin, and they clipped Spain 2–1 in the title game in Milan. That powerful performance enabled Mbappé to hoist the Alipay Top Scorer Trophy. The tournament, which made its debut in 2019 and is contested every two years, features group play matches, with the four winners from the top league advancing to Italy. No surprise, Mbappé was the key reason why France qualified for the final four in Italy, as he was at his brilliant best in group action. Among his exploits, the clutch forward delivered game-winning goals in challenging road wins against Croatia and Sweden.

Kylian Mbappé steered France to the UEFA Nations in Italy in 2021.

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World Class Footballers: Kylian Mbappé