At the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Kylian Mbappe has been one of the stars for the France national team. The 23-year-old has five goals in the competition and helped Les Bleus advance to the semifinals.
Arsene Wenger, the former manager of Arsenal, discussed Mbappe and Thierry Henry’s parallels with L’Equipe (h/t Paris Fans) as the PSG sensation makes his mark on French football.
Wenger thinks that the two players’ backgrounds and on-field routines are comparable. He acknowledges that Kylian Mbappe can make decisions quickly and adapts extremely well to various scenarios.
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“Yes, there are a lot of similarities,” Wenger said. “Thierry also played on the left when he started out, he also liked to open his foot in front of goal …”
“But I note that Kylian, as he did on his first goal against Poland, is adapting to the fact that the goalkeepers are anticipating open side to shoot closed side… As with all great players, you have the impression that it’s easy for him to play football and that he decides a bit when he will make the difference.”
Given that the teenage striker can win a second World Cup and do it back-to-back, Mbappe has the potential to be a more well-known French icon than Henry.
Kylian Mbappe may also be the driving force behind a PSG team that brings the UEFA Champions League to the French capital, which would be the first and further solidify his legacy in France.
