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.