Kylian Mbappé: The Boy Who Scored in a World Cup Final

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[00:00:21] Hello football fans and welcome to Football Bedtime Stories. I'm Damien, bringing you Matchday Mindfulness to help you unwind and relax with some of the greatest moments in football. If you like the podcast, don't forget to follow and subscribe for more episodes.

[00:00:40] This story begins in Moscow on a warm July evening. It was the 2018 World Cup Final. France against Croatia, blue against red and white Czechs. And somewhere on the right side of the pitch, waiting for his moment, was a 19-year-old named Kylian Mbappé. Here's his story of the World Cup Final.

[00:01:10] At first glance, Mbappé wasn't the biggest player on the pitch, but he had something that defenders don't enjoy at all. Speed. He saw space before anyone else. He moved before defenders knew they needed to move. And when France needed a way out, they knew they needed to find Kylian.

[00:01:35] Before he was scoring in World Cup Finals, Kylian Mbappé was a football-mad boy from Bondi, just outside Paris, where he first learned the game at his local club, AS Bondi. His speed and skill took him from Bondi to France's famous Clairefontaine Academy, then to Monaco, where he became the club's youngest ever first-team player, aged 16.

[00:01:57] So when children watched Mbappé in Moscow in 2018, they weren't just seeing a superstar. They were seeing someone who had once been a young player with a ball, a dream and a lot of running in his legs. The final started with Croatia full of energy. Luka Modric and even Rakitic were busy in midfield, trying to control the rhythm of the game. Croatia had already come through three difficult knockout matches, and they played without fear.

[00:02:27] France knew they could sit deep, absorb pressure and then suddenly break forward, like a door flying open in the wind. And that is where Mbappé can make the difference. Out on the right, he watched the Croatian defence like a hawk. The first goal came after just 18 minutes. France won a free kick. Griezmann stood over it, calm and careful. He curled the ball into the Croatian penalty area.

[00:02:56] Manzukic jumped to clear it, but the ball flicked off him and into his own net. France were ahead, 1-0. Croatia immediately came back with the spirit of a team who had already fought their way through a long World Cup. Ten minutes later, the ball dropped to Perisic on the edge of the box. He took one touch to shift it, then struck it hard with his left foot. The ball flew into the net.

[00:03:25] France won, Croatia won. Now the final had truly begun. The players moved themselves back into position for kick-off, and Mbappé kept watching. And that's what makes great players special. Even when they're not touching the ball, they're playing the game in their heads. Mbappé was reading it from the start. He knew that if France could win the ball back cleanly, he could use the grass ahead of him.

[00:03:52] Before half-time, France were given a penalty after a handball decision. Griezmann placed the ball on the spot, stepped back, and sent the goalkeeper the wrong way. France 2, Croatia 1. At half-time, the French players walked in knowing they were ahead, but also knowing that the game wasn't safe. In the dressing room, the message would have been simple. Stay calm, stay compact, and choose the right moment.

[00:04:21] For Mbappé, the message was to keep running. The second half began, and Croatia came again. They passed and pressed, trying to make France uncomfortable. Tired legs and tired minds leave space. In the 52nd minute, Mbappé nearly had his moment. France broke forward quickly. The ball came to him on the right, and he burst into the penalty area. His feet moving so fast, it was almost as if the ball was being pulled along by a string.

[00:04:51] Mbappé shot. Subasic, Croatia's goalkeeper, saved it. There was no goal, but there was a warning sign. Croatia knew that one mistake, one heavy touch, and one slow turn, and Mbappé would capitalise on the chance. A few minutes later, France struck again. In the 59th minute, Paul Pogba helped start a counter-attack. The ball moved quickly from defence to attack, and suddenly Croatia was scrambling backwards.

[00:05:20] Pogba arrived outside the box and took his chance. His first shot was blocked, but the ball came back to him. He curled it low and calm into the corner. France 3, Croatia 1. The fact that Croatia needed to chase the game now gave Kylian Mbappé all the opportunity he needed. Six minutes later, France moved the ball across the pitch.

[00:05:49] Lucas Hernandez, the left-back, carried it forward with strength and purpose. Croatia's defenders backed off, trying to cover every blue shirt at once. Griezmann and Pogba were nearby. And with Giroud occupying defenders, Mbappé waited just outside the box. He struck the ball low and clean. It travelled through the rain of legs in front of him, past Subasic's dive and into the bottom corner. France 4, Croatia 1.

[00:06:23] Mbappé peeled away in celebration, arms out, face bright, teammates chasing after him. Because in that moment, he wasn't just an exciting teenager with frightening pace. At 19 years of age, Kylian Mbappé had become the first teenager since Pelé to score in a World Cup final. Pelé had done it for Brazil in 1958. Mbappé achieved the same feat for France 60 years later.

[00:06:51] Mbappé didn't spend the final trying to do everything himself. He was part of the team's plan. That's because France were built on balance, and Mbappé's job was to be the spark. Despite that, Croatia didn't give up. Only four minutes after Mbappé's goal, they scored again. Hugo Lloris, the French goalkeeper, tried to control the ball near his own goal. Manzukic chased him down, blocked the clearance, and the ball rolled into the net.

[00:07:20] France 4, Croatia 2. Little by little, the minutes passed. And then, finally, the whistle blew. France were world champions. Some players fell to the grass, some lifted their arms, and some ran to each other. The French substitute rushed onto the pitch in a blur of blue shirts and joy. Mbappé smiled.

[00:07:51] He had played in a World Cup final at 19 years of age, scoring for his country and winning for a nation. And when France lifted the World Cup, Mbappé was there amongst them. A young player in a team of champions.

[00:08:18] And that's the full-time whistle on this episode of Football Bedtime Stories. Thank you so much for listening. And if there's a big game you'd like to hear get the Football Bedtime Stories treatment, drop it in the comments below. Until next time, have a great bedtime.

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