Kylian Mbappé is experiencing discomfort. It is November, and Mbappé’s Paris Saint-Germain held Newcastle to a stalemate at the Parc des Princes in the Champions League group stage last night.
A point was salvaged in stoppage time by Mbappé’s penalty kick, which followed a frustrating performance by the team. Mbappé, however, does not appear to be displeased. He was observed today sporting an informal ensemble consisting of a black T-shirt and a loose-fitting velour in a pastel hue, adorned with a Hublot Big Bang One Click watch that protrudes from the sleeve.
A few post-match discomforts are to be expected from Mbappé, who has already competed in over 400 games at the pinnacle of men’s soccer at the age of 25. Mbappé, who was only 19, established himself as an adolescent sensation at AS Monaco before going on to win the World Cup with France.
In 2017, he was traded to Paris Saint-Germain for €180 million ($215 million), making him the most expensive adolescent athlete of all time and one of the most valuable jewels in an all-star squad that included Neymar and Lionel Messi for two seasons
. Already the all-time leading scorer for Paris Saint-Germain, it seems probable that he will attain the same distinction for the French national team at some point. (In the process, he became the youngest player in history to be included on the Ballon d’Or shortlist.)
Mbappé claims to have learned during that time what it takes to maintain optimal physical condition: increasing his pre-match stretching and post-match physiotherapy sessions. “All that largely invisible work makes it possible to string together matches and recover from injuries more easily,” he says, adding that, in contrast to other athletes, he maintains a strict separation between his personal and professional life.
“Although I own a fully-equipped personal gym, I prefer to dedicate my time and energy to the training center, where I am willing to endure any necessary obligations, including those that require me to remain late.
Additionally, recovery is mental. “Work is the club, and home is a sanctuary where I can spend time with my family, whom I do not see enough of, and where I can be more at ease.”
Mbappé achieves a new turning point this season. Messi departed PSG for Inter Miami and the MLS in July. Neymar relocated to Al-Hilal in Saudi Arabia one month later. Despite the dismantling of one of the most dynamic forward lines in football due to the twin departures, Mbappe states that he is undeterred by the responsibility he now bears and the turmoil in the international game.”We are entering a new era,” Mbappé says. “Many great players who have shaped the history of football have left Europe this summer.””It has become an inescapable aspect of this sport’s cycle that I will eventually be required to depart.”Nothing concerns me about these alterations.Simply put, I am contemplating advancing my career and forging my own path.”
Metz is astute regarding his public persona and prefers to maintain complete control over his image.
