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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