Written By: Alyssa Wheeler
Edited By: Irtaza Khan
As 22-year-old Kylian Mbappe eased past Barcelona’s backline in Paris Saint-Germaine’s 4-1 victory, it was clear that there was nothing that could be done to stop him. Mbappe racked up 3 goals against the Spanish side, making him the first player in Champions League history to score a hat-trick against Barcelona in the knockout stages. His dazzling performance marks a major milestone in how he’s viewed in the football world. Dusting the epitome of world class soccer, Lionel messi, critics can’t help but to hail Mbappe as the next best player. For the first time in ages, it seems as though somebody other than Messi is embarrassing defenders at Camp Nou. So, how does this performance by the French youngster impact his own career, as well as the future of European soccer?
Mbappe is one of the most notable young players in European soccer. He is among the ranks of Jaden Sancho, Christian Pulisic, and Erling Haaland. However, he seems to be outshining them in almost all of his performances. With only having played 6 games in the Champions League, he’s outscored both Messi and Ronaldo, all while having an 81% passing accuracy. He has proven to be a key figure in PSG’s domination of European soccer, and has even stepped up to the plate numerous times when Neymar was missing.
Mbappe’s style of play quite differs from that of Messi and Ronaldo, and this could have implications for the future of soccer. In past years, the use of tiki-taka soccer and slow buildup possession soccer has been used by the elites. Coaches like Pep Guardiola and Arsene Wegner have used tiki-taka to dominate European soccer, and have had success in this. However, this classic style of play seems to be changing, or at least evolving. Mbappe’s performance against Barcelona exemplifies the evolution of this style of play, as he sped by world class defenders like Pique, Lenglet, and Alba. Statistics show that he beat three Barcelona players within three seconds, leading to his first goal in the first leg. Being one of the quickest players in soccer has always helped Mbappe excel, especially in terms of his success in club and country soccer. In France’s World Cup domination, his speed helped him put away big opponents like Argentina. He was the youngest player since Pele to score twice in a World Cup knockout stage. Things like this help visualize Mbappe’s domination of soccer, and his success can be attributed to his quick speed on the attack. He clocks an average of 22.37 miles per hour pace, which is one of the fastest in soccer. Mbappe’s quick speed gets him past great defenders, something that was not as commonly done in the past. With performances given by Mbappe, as well as the rising nature of the full field running full back tactic, soccer seems to be evolving into a game that is made easier with quick running outside players. Quick outside players can be unstoppable to another team’s defense. An example of this is Jurgen Klopp’s full backs, Trent Alexander-Arnold and Andrew Robertson. These players hit top level speed and seem to play the role of playmakers on the attack. In past years, full backs rarely did this, but this role on Klopp’s Liverpool makes them virtually unstoppable.
Overall, Mbappe’s stellar performance against Barcelona highlights the new level of football to come. He has put away not only an older legend, Messi, but an older style of play as well. The future of soccer seems to be quick moving, hitting top speed, and running full lengths. It will be interesting to see if this type of soccer lasts long, or if players like Mbappe will ever be stopped.
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