On September 19, according to Beijing Time (CEST), France Football magazine officially published an in-depth article about Kylian Mbappé, detailing his journey from childhood to becoming a professional footballer and one of the most sought-after football stars today, as well as the factors that shaped who he is.

The Original Article

From an early age, Mbappé showed the potential to become a football legend. What carefully planned steps helped this nine-time Ballon d'Or candidate reach the pinnacle? And how has he maintained focus and control since reaching the top?

Forty-two club goals, combined with his record-breaking performance at the World Cup, earned him his ninth consecutive Ballon d'Or nomination in 2026.

High Expectations

Great expectations were placed on Mbappé from a very young age, and he truly delivered an impressive performance.

This summer, the striker became the first player in half a century to score double-digit goals at a single World Cup, topping France's all-time international goal-scoring list.

At club level, he has been named Ligue 1 Player of the Year five times and won the league's Golden Boot award six times. During his time at Real Madrid, he played 105 matches, scoring 89 goals, including 3 hat-tricks in the Champions League.

Since 2017, he has consistently ranked in the top 10 of the annual Ballon d'Or rankings.

There is no doubt that this football-obsessed boy, who grew up in a suburb north of Paris, has lived up to the natural talent that everyone saw in him. This talent led Real Madrid to invite him to visit the club's training ground at age 11, and Chelsea did the same three years later.

It is reported that when Arsène Wenger first saw Mbappé at Clairefontaine, France's national football academy, he said four words to those around him: "Pelé reborn."

Self-Discipline

The boy's talent was so exceptional that childhood friends and coaches alike felt he was destined for a professional football career. With such outstanding talent, how could he not succeed?

But football, and indeed life, is never that simple. Many highly talented young players have faltered or reached their limits early in their careers.

The Mbappé family early on recognized that talent alone was not enough for Kylian to succeed—a very commendable realization.

He needed strong self-belief to withstand tremendous external pressure, while simultaneously maintaining humility to cope with the impending fame.

He was born with inner drive, but this drive needed proper guidance; a strong spirit was also essential to deal with the inevitable setbacks on the path to superstardom.

Essentially, he deliberately disciplined himself, preparing for the life that awaited him. Mbappé once spoke about this maturing process: "My mother always told me that before becoming a great footballer, I had to be a good person."

The Right Development Environment

The key factors that shape a person's character are often the least controllable.

In this regard, Mbappé was fortunate: his childhood environment provided him with the conditions to sharpen his developing football skills while cultivating the mindset of an elite athlete.

His small apartment overlooked the pitch of AS Bondy, a Paris suburban club where his father, Wilfried, was a coach. From the kitchen window, he could see the entire field.

Mbappé's football career began at Bondy, playing in the club's youth academy from a young age. Even before that, he was always lingering around the pitch.

As a child, he would arrive on time to watch the players train, silently listening to his father loudly calling out tactical instructions from the sideline, absorbing everything.

Later, he recalled: "I learned everything there."

The Power of Role Models

The choice of role models is never random. Role models influence and inspire us, and whether consciously or not, we actively learn from their qualities.

Mbappé's childhood role models were Cristiano Ronaldo and Zinedine Zidane, two football giants who influenced him in different ways.

There is a famous photo: six-year-old Mbappé sitting on his bed, surrounded by Ronaldo posters on the wall. At that age, what naturally attracted him was this player's epoch-defining goal-scoring ability and skill at dribbling past opponents.

But what also impressed the boy about the Portuguese star was his relentless dedication to improvement and his strong, unstoppable inner drive.

Years later, Bernardo Silva, Mbappé's teammate at Monaco (also a Ballon d'Or candidate), praised Mbappé's professionalism, describing it as almost an "obsession."

As for Zidane, an iconic figure in France who transcends sports, Mbappé was drawn to his unique personal style, particularly his courage to take risks and express himself on the pitch.

At age 11, Mbappé went to a local barber and asked for a "Zidane haircut." The barber was confused because Zidane had short hair, and the boy also had short hair at the time.

Mbappé actually wanted Zidane's baldness. He wanted to be bald, just like his idol.

Strong Spirit

Some describe Mbappé as a driven individual. This trait has served him well, making him unwilling to compromise or stand still, always steadfastly pushing toward the top.

It has also helped him maintain high levels of focus. In 2017, while still young, he said: "I've had a career plan since I can remember. I know what I want to do and where I want to go, and nothing can distract me."

Some also say he has a very strong sense of self. This trait can have negative connotations in many fields, but when 83,000 spectators at Santiago Bernabéu Stadium are cheering, expecting an exceptional performance, strong self-belief is essential.

This confidence is both the foundation that helps him hold his ground and the driving force pushing him toward the summit.

Mbappé once said he built this indispensable self-identity through psychological suggestion: "Every time I step onto the pitch, I tell myself I'm the best... because that way, you won't limit yourself."

The same happened when he trained at Bondy. He persistently demanded that his father arrange for the strongest defender on the opposing team to face him. Some nights, he really didn't want to do it, but he still forced himself to make that request.

Through these repeated challenges, he built a strong inner core that allows him to calmly face any challenge in the future.

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