When England step out at Doha’s Al Bayt stadium on Saturday for their quarter final clash against defending champions France, they will come face to face with one of the world’s greatest footballing talents.
At the tender age of 23, Kylian Mbappé has already etched his name into the annals of world football.
He already boasts one World Cup in his trophy cabinet, having guided his country to ultimate glory in their 2018 campaign aged just 19, scoring four goals along the way.
Four years on, the young phenom from a small Parisian suburb has developed into a truly terrifying striker, racking up a tournament-best five goals in Qatar after just four games.
Now it is the turn of Gareth Southgate’s men to try and halt France’s golden boy, who appears to be striding confidently toward a second second successive World Cup.
But there is more than meets the eye when it comes to Mbappé, who told the New York Times earlier this year: ‘I want to be more than just the guy who shoots the ball and goes to his yacht and takes his money.’
He is renowned for his philanthropic endeavours, having launched his own foundation for disadvantaged youths in Paris and donated all of his national team match fees to charity, and refuses to endorse any brands associated with alcohol, gambling and fast food.
He is also a shrewd businessman with a keen eye for fashion, having inked a sea of deftly curated partnerships with the likes of Nike, Electronic Arts, Hublot, Dior and Oakley – all while earning up to an eye-watering £1.2million a week from his club Paris Saint-Germain.
Yet despite his superstardom, he is still known to his teammates and friends as ‘Donatello’ – a moniker bestowed upon him by compatriot Presnel Kimpembe for his likeness to the relaxed, nerdy Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle.
And although he signed with superagency WME Sports earlier this year, most of his footballing life has been guided by father Wilfried and mother Fayza – the latter of whom is by no means shy when it comes to discussions over her son’s career.
Here, MailOnline takes a deep dive into the life of France’s leading light ahead of his clash against the Three Lions in Doha this Saturday.
France’s forward #10 Kylian Mbappé (L) shoots to score his team’s second goal during the Qatar 2022 World Cup round of 16 football match between France and Poland at the Al-Thumama Stadium in Doha on December 4, 2022
There are strong rumours the French superstar is dating 27-year-old model Rose Bertram (pictured) – who is four years his senior
Ines Rau, the first transgender person to make it into the front pages of Playboy, joined the footballer on a yacht after attending the Cannes Film Festival
Kylian Mbappé of France celebrates after scoring the team’s third goal during the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022 Round of 16 match between France and Poland
Source: dailymail.co.uk
