In a lengthy interview with France's first television channel, Kylian Mbappé, Paris Saint-Germain player, talked about his big dream of combining the titles of the "World Cup" and "Euro" to achieve a "historical double." He also discussed his dream of playing in the Tokyo Olympic Games, his ambition for the Ballon d'Or, his personal situation, the unusual life he lives, and other matters.
Initially, he focused on the UEFA European Championship “Euro 2020,” which takes place from June 11 to July 11. He said: For a big country like France, winning this tournament represents an important goal that everyone must work together to achieve.
Regarding the hope of adding the championship to the 2018 World Cup title won by France, Mbappé said: Who wouldn’t dream of such an achievement? It’s a hope for all French people, in general, and for the players and their technical staff in particular, and I’m no exception.
He added: It would be a unique and historic "double" for French football if achieved, and yes, I want to win the "Euro"; in fact, we always want to win. We must learn from our experiences in the World Cup in Russia to develop further. We have gained recognition as a strong team, capable of facing major challenges, and we benefited from the state’s support; this is extremely important, and we wish to turn this support into victories in reality.
On the Tokyo Olympics, for which he is a candidate to play, he said: Everyone knows I’ve always dreamed of playing in the Olympic Games; it’s a big dream, and I hope to play in an Olympic Games at least once in my life!
Regarding his ambition to win the Ballon d'Or as the best player in the world, Mbappé stated: The primary goal of football is collective, not individual, as it’s a team sport. What matters to us as a team is winning tournaments such as the World Cup, the Euros, and the UEFA Champions League, although the Ballon d'Or is certainly a goal for any player who aims to be the best, and I’m one of those players. Yes, the Ballon d'Or is one of my goals, but there’s no need to talk about it too much, because football is primarily a team game.
When asked by the French channel about the great black jewel Pelé, who once called him "the king's" successor on the pitch, Mbappé said: When "the king" speaks about me this way, I’m certainly happy, but I believe the more important thing is that his words encourage me to continue what I do and to work on myself well.
In response to another question about his market value, which has reached 180 million euros, and whether this figure makes him feel like he has wings or makes him boastful, he said: Not at all. The football world governs these financial matters. Besides, this amount does not go into my pocket; it goes into the clubs’ pockets. I love this game regardless of the money it provides me or the gains it brings. My first and most important task is to help the teams I play for achieve victories.
On the unusual life he lives as a player and person at the age of twenty-two, he said: My life is a bit different from that of ordinary people, and I’m happy with this life. There’s nothing I complain about; it’s a life I have always dreamed of, with its advantages and disadvantages. Mbappé did not elaborate on the nature of this different life.
