The goals Mbappe scored and becoming the leader of PSG saved the Parisian team from a chaotic 2022/23 season.

Kylian Mbappe never intended to miss the free kick. The French forward stepped up and looked directly at the shy Strasbourg goalkeeper, took four steps and then fired a shot into the bottom corner. After scoring, he dashed into the night of Paris, bringing victory to Paris Saint-Germain in the 96th minute.

The confident goal came for PSG in dire straits, as Neymar was sent off and Lionel Messi was still on a beach in Argentina celebrating a World Cup victory. This is the high-pressure situation Mbappe has faced all season, a moment of talent in an unselfish year for the new France captain.

Mbappe is not one to keep quiet, although Neymar and Messi have always been controversial stars and attracted attention online. However, despite his teammates’ frequent late-night snacking trips and trips to Saudi Arabia, he’s kept his professionalism.

With coach Christophe Galtier likely to be sacked, football adviser Luis Camps having a conflicting relationship with the team, and fans cursing star players, Mbappe has become the only bright spot. He was unable to deliver the European success he had repeatedly promised for the Parc des Princes, but PSG needed him more than ever.

His goals, commitment to the club and unwavering leadership have brought stability to a club that is out of control, and are vital to securing the Ligue 1 title that is at a distance. At times, it looked like it was about to get out of hand. The only thing PSG need is to keep Mbappe.

Goals

Mbappe is expected to score. He has proven, to France, Monaco and PSG, that he is one of the best strikers in world football. He has set quite high standards for himself since the age of 17, scoring 15 goals and assisting seven for Monaco during the Ligue 1 title-winning season. But he has maintained that record year after year. season, until a historic hat-trick in the 2022 World Cup final.

However, if you look at the numbers, it can be seen that this is Mbappe’s worst attacking season since 2020. The winger has been pushed back by Florian Balogun, Jonathan David and Alexandre Lacazette in the race for the Golden Shoe. Ligue1, in which Lacazette equaled Mbappe’s goalscoring record with just a few weeks to go.

The underlying figures show the same thing. While Mbappe’s 26 goals and four assists in 31 matches is a respectable feat, his 90-minute average is the lowest since 2018, when the Frenchman fell below average by one. goals or assists per match.

These are minor complaints, but could indicate that the player has not yet reached his peak. Injuries have certainly affected him, especially a thigh muscle injury in February. There may also be something to be said for the psychological impact of losing the World Cup final on penalties even though he was the best player on the pitch most of the time.

Perhaps, therefore, Mbappe’s 30 goal involvements in Ligue 1 and 10 in the Champions League are more impressive given the context around him. In a cluttered environment, it is not possible to demand a complete improvement of the standards already achieved. The fact that he was so close to meeting those standards was an amazing feat.

The goals came at an even pace. During this year’s Ligue 1 season, Mbappe has never failed to score in three consecutive games, and most of PSG’s victories have come from matches where Mbappe has scored. This has not been Mbappe’s most scoring season, but it could be the most reliable one.

Captain’s Band

In January, Galtier made the rather surprising announcement that Mbappe would become PSG’s vice-captain in the future. That, seems like news to the position’s previous owner, Presnel Kimpbembe, who admitted he was not informed by the coach that Mbappe would be second in the line of captain.

However, Mbappe still holds the position and has acted as captain for the club in a couple of games when regular captain Marquinhos is out or injured. In those games, Mbappe has become an unlikely leader, often seen encouraging a slow team.

There can be an optimistic view: that Mbappe is the face of the project and a giant ego that demands the right to wear the captain’s armband by influence, not by merit. After all, a bright band on the arm can sell a few shirts, and “Captain Mbappe” looks amazing in social media graphics.

However, perhaps there are also a few points that make more sense. Mbappe has been named captain of the France team, much preferable to more experienced players like Antoine Griezmann. His performances in big games for club and country – like the World Cup final or the brace against Juventus in the Champions League group stage – are certainly inspirational. He is also a player with a deep connection to the club.

Although he once played for Monaco and still dreams of playing for Real Madrid one day, Mbappe is a Parisian and trained at France’s famed Clairefontaine Academy. He knows the city and certainly understands what it means to play for the club – and the country it is deeply associated with. These phrases and football clichés are overused, but for a team that is seeing its identity influenced by a country thousands of miles away, they can also bring a lot of difference. mobilize. Notation, obviously, can be a very powerful thing.

Promise

However, Mbappe’s performances have always been influenced by the presence of Real Madrid. It remains an unofficial secret that he wants to play football in the Spanish capital one day; And Real Madrid does not deny it.

However, since he was handed the captaincy, Mbappe has been quick to emphasize that he has no plans to leave – at least not immediately. He reassured fans in an interview in April, when he stated unequivocally: “I am a Parisian and have a contract with PSG”.

It was an important affirmation within the scope of a distracting season, a single promise to temporarily ease tensions in Paris. It also helps Mbappe avoid the indignation of PSG fanatics, after the team continuously performed bad performances.

However, this assertion comes with a number of assumptions. There is acceptance that PSG will lose Messi at the end of the season, while they are said to be willing to listen to offers for Neymar. If both of these stars go, Mbappe will become the main star of a team that still wants to compete in the Champions League. This is not a team that has the patience to thank the fans for their unwavering support after a loss at Benfica.

Mbappe can ask the players to back his commitment. PSG have been linked with his international teammates Randal Kolo Muani and Marcus Thuram in recent weeks, while Victor Osimhen and Bernardo Silva have also been mentioned as other potential attacking rookies. Campos is also said to want another midfielder and centre-back.

Mbappe did his part; Now it’s PSG’s turn to be expected to do their part.

Future

That investment, if any, may not be enough, though. Links with Real Madrid continue to emerge, despite Mbappe’s pledges to PSG fans. It has recently emerged that Real Madrid value Vinicius Jr more than Mbappe, and although that may be true this summer, especially as Los Blancos still have to finalize a new deal with the current left winger. Surname. But in 2025, when Mbappe can leave PSG for free, Real Madrid will likely become the leading candidate, if not absolute favourite, to sign him.

They are said to have almost signed him last summer, with Mbappe already in discussions with Los Blancos before suddenly opting for a bigger financial package from PSG. It’s a move that doesn’t seem to have much to do with the atmosphere of Madrid, known for its modesty, as it accepts the rejection of Europe’s “hot food”. In fact, Madrid president Florentino Perez criticized Mbappe in the press less than a month after he signed a new contract, claiming that “This Mbappe is not the Mbappe I want”.

Whether Real Madrid will be able to swallow their word and ignore their hurt is still unclear. Meanwhile, the leak that they prefer Vinicius to Mbappe seems like a petty trick rather than an absolute truth. Vinicius is an excellent footballer, but Mbappe is simply on another level. Real Madrid probably understands that too.

Here, finally, is a player who has scored three goals in the World Cup final, averaging almost one goal per game in his career, and has helped the team with famous decomposition win the tournament. difficult Ligue 1. It’s only a “farmers’ league” if your team is strong enough to prove it.

Mbappe may have saved PSG this year, but it’s hard not to see him becoming one day at Real Madrid’s Santiago Bernabeu.