Arsenal legend Thierry Henry has insisted that Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappe is unfairly criticised. He highlighted the Frenchman’s achievements at a young age and believes the forward does not get the credit he deserves.
Speaking to GOAL, Henry said that Mbappe has already played in two FIFA World Cup finals, scored in both, and won it once. He believes that the Real Madrid star has carried a lot of pressure since his teenage days, as that has led to people thinking more about their expectations from him than his achievements, and said:
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“Sometimes he gets judged on what he is not doing or what he didn’t do yet. And people kind of brush [over] what he has done, which I’m like, ‘OK, I get it, I’m not saying he gets a pass, but can we be fair sometimes?’ There’s so much expectation on this guy since he’s 16, and he has almost always delivered. With the way he’s been behaving, and look at the stats, if you look at the trophies, if you look at the numbers, they ain’t bad.”
Henry added that the Real Madrid star could create history at the 2026 FIFA World Cup and said:
“But, like I said, one day you don’t bring the caviar for your host, they will complain. That’s just how it is, and the player that he is, I think in a way, he has to just embrace that. That tells you that you are an outstanding player, because if not, they wouldn’t be talking about you. But all I know is, this guy played two World Cups only, and went to two finals. I mean, if he goes to a third one, it’s not even the history of France here, you’re talking about the history of the World Cup.”
Kylian Mbappe has scored 372 goals in 475 club matches for AS Monaco, PSG, and Real Madrid. He has another 55 goals in 94 matches for the French senior side.
Thierry Henry warns Real Madrid’s Kylian Mbappe ahead of FIFA World Cup
Thierry Henry is unsure which position Kylian Mbappe will play at the FIFA World Cup. He claimed that the Real Madrid star has competition for the striker role from Liverpool’s Hugo Ekitike this summer.
He believes that the Frenchman has done well in recent months to earn a starting spot at the World Cup. However, he added that the decision of Didier Deschamps will be key, and nobody can argue if he starts Kylian Mbappe upfront.
Edited by Sripad