Doha: FIFA on Monday commended the impressive performance of French star Kylian Mbappe who is currently on five goals for the FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022.
"Currently the top scorer at FIFA World Cup Qatar 2022, Kylian Mbappe is stacking up records and top-class performances at the same lightning speed," FIFA said in a report published on its website.
In scoring a brace against Poland in the round of 16 on Sunday, the French forward notched his fourth and fifth goals of the tournament, jumping to top of the goalscorers list.
"It is the first time in the history of the tournament that a player has scored twice in the round of 16 of two consecutive editions. In Russia 2018, the boy from the Parisian suburb of Bondy scored twice in Les Bleus unforgettable 4-3 victory over Argentina," FIFA said.
"At 23, Mbappe is at the peak of his powers and has already left behind French legends such as Thierry Henry, Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane with his nine World Cup goals (his five in Qatar added to his four from 2018). Quite simply, nobody has scored so many World Cup goals before his 24th birthday. Not even Pele, nor the great Ronaldo, nor even the top scorer in World Cup history, Miroslav Klose, could lay claim to such a record at the same age," the report added.
"Talking of comparisons, Mbappe has as many World Cup goals as Lionel Messi, and one more than Cristiano Ronaldo. And with one key difference: the two icons are both the wrong side of 35 and playing their fifth World Cup, while the French star is only in his second. Not to mention that he already has a winners medal at home, something that neither of those two legends can boast," FIFA said in its report.
Source: QNA
