Kylian Mbappé is widely seen as the best football player in the world at the moment, with Erling Haaland being the only player that can arguably be seen as a rival to that position. The era of Messi and Ronaldo is sadly over for football fans, but Mbappe and Haaland are expected to be the worthy successors to the GOATS of the game. Mbappe has established himself as one of the best during his stay at PSG, having broken several goalscoring records in the French League. The end seems to be near though for this special French Connection, As Mbappe completed his dream switch to Real Madrid. This article will be looking at Mbappe’s time at Monaco, which began his rise as the most promising youngster in world football at the time.
A fast breakthrough to the first-team
Mbappe was brought in by then Monaco coach Leonardo Jardim to be part of Monaco's B team, but even the early signs showed that this young Frenchman was something out of the ordinary. The player's outstanding level of skill and mentality at such a young age saw Mbappe promoted to the first-team within just 3 weeks.
2 months later, Mbappe made history by making his debut as a substitute against Caen in a 1-1 draw. The appearance made him the youngest ever player to debut for Monaco's first-team at 16 years and 347 days. In doing so, he broke the record that previously belonged to a young Thierry Henry.
The records kept on coming for Mbappe, as he scored his first goal for Monaco against Troyes in Ligue 1. This made him the youngest ever first-team goalscoring in the club's history, once again breaking a record that was once held by Henry. Mbappe followed up this magnificent period of success by signing his first professional contract with Monaco, which was a 3 year deal that would see him stay until 2019 with the club.
The legendary season with Monaco
Mbappe continued his rise to superstardom with Monaco, as a hat-trick against Rennes in the Coupe de la Ligue made him the first Monaco player to achieve this feat since Sonny Anderson in 1997. This magnificent form was seen in the league as well, as he scored yet another hat-trick against Metz at just 18 years.
Mbappe continued to break records, and this time it was in the Champions League. His goal against Manchester City in the Champions League round of 16 first-leg made him the second youngest French goalscorer since Karim Benzema. Monaco unfortunately ended up losing that match 5-3 to City though.
Mbappe's massive rise in France continued with his exceptional performances in Ligue 1, as he managed to contribute 9 goals and 5 assists in just 822 minutes of Ligue 1 football. His reputation in Europe was increasing at a rapid pace, and several European giants were keeping their eye on him.
The Champions League round of 16 second-leg match against Manchester City ended up being one of the greatest ever European nights in Monaco history. Monaco beat City 3-1, which saw them win 6-6 on aggregate via away goals rule. Mbappe played a crucial part in the success, having scored the first goal. This was followed by yet another historic performance by the Frenchmen, as he scored 3 goals across 2 legs to help Monaco destroy Dortmund 6-3 on aggregate. Monaco's Golden generation ended up reaching the Champions League semi-finals with this win, but were unfortunately knocked out by Juventus 4-1 on aggregate.
Despite their Champions League heartbreak, Monaco were able to end their season on a massive high. They went on to break PSG's domination of the French League, as they created history by winning the Ligue 1 title. Mbappé ended the 2016–17 season on an excellent note, with 26 goals from 44 matches.
That was the end of Mbappe's rise to stardom at Monaco, as he eventually joined PSG on a loan which was soon made into a permanent transfer for a record €180 million fee. This made him the costliest teenager in football history. What followed is known to all, as Mbappe went on to continue his goal scoring brilliance in France and eventually established himself as one of the best in the world at PSG.
Also Read | Best performances of Kylian Mbappe
