Kylian Mbappe handled state of affairs himself after France have been fined by FIFA
When it comes to putting his money where his mouth is, France megastar Kylian Mbappe doesn’t mess about.
The soon-to-be Real Madrid star is said to be worth more than £140million. So when the France Football Federation (FFF) were punished for not putting up a player for media duties during the 2022 World Cup, the 25-year-old had a swift response.
Les Bleus breezed past Poland in a 3-1 victory in a Round of 16 tie out in Qatar, thanks in no small part to a brace from the Paris Saint-Germain forward, who was awarded the man-of-the-match award.
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But he failed to turn up for his post-match interview, a must for players that receive the award. As per FIFA rules, the official man of the match at a World Cup must take part in a post-match press conference.
Mbappe had also failed to turn up when he received the same award for a two-goal performance in a group stage victory against Denmark. That landed the FFF in hot water with FIFA, who fined them as a result.
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Mbappe’s response? To say he would pay whatever fine FIFA imposed himself. “People have been asking why I haven’t appeared in front of the media,” Mbappe said at the time. I just needed to focus on the tournament and on football. When I want to concentrate, that is how I do it.
“I heard the FFF is going to get fined, so I will pay it as I don’t think the FFF should pay on my behalf. This is the competition of dreams and I’m delighted to be here and I wanted to be ready.”
It’s safe to say Mbappe was ready, as he finished the tournament as the top scorer, with a whopping eight goals in total. But that haul, including a hat-trick in the World Cup final, wasn’t enough to secure the trophy, as a Lionel Messi-inspired Argentina triumphed on penalties following a thrilling 3-3 draw.
He’ll be hoping to go one better at Euro 2024, with France set to meet the Netherlands in a Group D battle tonight (Friday, June 21). The clash offers up the mouthwatering prospect of a duel between Mbappe and Dutch captain Virgil van Dijk – widely recognised as the world’s best striker taking on the world’s best defender.
