France striker Kylian Mbappe is delighted to have scored twice in his side’s 4-3 win over Argentina in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia second round game decided at the Kazan Arena on Saturday.
Before Mbappe, the youngest player to have scored twice in a single World Cup match was the great Edson Arantes dos Nascimento (Pele) in 1958. The Paris St Germain forward expressed his happiness at emulating the Brazilian’s feat in Kazan.
“I am very happy. It is flattering to be the second player after Pele and to put things in context, Pele is on another level as a footballer but it is good to be among these people to score in knockout matches,” said Mbappe.
The 19-year old was named Man of the Match in the win over Argentina and reference was made to the fact that the only World Cup triumph for France was in the same year Mbappe was born.
The youngster hopes the Les Blues, coached by the 1998 winning captain Didier Deschamps will make it two under his influence and stressed his readiness to take on more big games.
“People remember the World Cup victory than my birth but it is normal, it will be great if this team can win it again.
“As I’ve always said, you have all the top players at the World Cup so it is always an opportunity to show what you can do and your abilities. There is no better place than the World Cup to do this.”
Mbappe and his fellow French troops will head to Nizhny Novgorod where they will play their quarter final fixture next week.
Fisayo Dairo reporting from Moscow
