Kylian Mbappé has spoken to the media for the first time this World Cup. The star attacker of France, who scored his fourth and fifth goal of this tournament against Poland (3-1 win), initially wanted to be able to fully focus on his game, as he explained on Sunday. L’Equipe know, however, that there is more to it.
Despite the fact that Olivier Giroud was crowned France’s all-time top scorer with the opening goal against Poland, afterwards it was mainly about Mbappé. For the only 23-year-old attacker, it was already his eighth and ninth World Cup goal in total. After the final whistle, the star appeared at a press conference for the first time this tournament. “I know a lot of people ask why I didn’t speak. For all journalists, it’s nothing personal. I just felt the need to concentrate on the tournament. I want to focus 100 percent on my performance and not waste energy on anything else he said there.
It means that Mbappé, who was voted Man of the Match a total of three times this World Cup, thanked twice for the obligatory post match interview. This resulted in a fine of reportedly 10,200 euros for the French federation. However, Mbappé pays it with all his heart, he said. “I understand that the French federation has been fined for not appearing to the media and I have said that I pay it myself. It would not be right for the federation to pay for me,” said the Parisian.
L’Equipe know, however, that there is more to Mbappé’s media silence. For example, the crown jewel of Paris Saint-Germain would not want to advertise Budweiser, the beer brand that is served during the World Cup. It would also be a way to evade any critical questions about Qatar, as the oil state pays Mbappe’s astronomical salary in France. In any case, the media silence seems to be reflected in Mbappé’s performance for les Bleus. With his goals and assists, he played a crucial role in reaching the quarter-finals, which saw France take on England.