Kylian Mbappe returns to PSG training just 72 HOURS after World Cup final
Kylian Mbappe has returned to PSG training less than three days after losing the World Cup final.
Mbappe starred during Sunday’s showpiece event against Argentina, leading a French comeback in normal time with two goals in 94 seconds – before he also scored in extra time to level the tie again at 3-3.
His World Cup hat-trick was the first in the final since Sir Geoff Hurst also scored a hat-trick for England in 1966 against West Germany.
Mbappe also netted his penalty in the shootout which France lost 4-2 after Emi Martinez saved from Kingsley Coman and Aurelien Tchouameni put his spot kick wide.
And upon returning to PSG’s Camp des Loges training base, Mbappe said he was feeling ‘better, better, better’.
He is expected to join training with the team today as revealed by the club on social media.
It’s been a busy week for Mbappe as after flying back from Qatar on Monday, he was present at France’s World Cup celebrations on Monday at Place de la Concorde.
It was expected the 24-year-old would have some time off – estimated to be around 10 days – before returning to club action.
But, he has already returned and will look to get over his World Cup heartache with his early comeback for the French champions.
PSG return to action on December 28 with a fixture against Strasbourg in Ligue 1.
Mbappe was unsurprisingly expected to miss this fixture as he rested following the World Cup, but it now looks as if the forward could be in line to feature for Christophe Galiter’s side in seven days time.
The PSG star excelled during the tournament in Qatar, winning the World Cup Golden Boot.
Mbappe scored eight times in seven games, while he also laid on two assists as he was a talisman in France’s attempts to win back-to-back World Cups.
Following four goals during France’s triumph at the World Cup in 2018, the 24-year-old has already netted 12 times in the tournament.
He is now just four goals behind former Germany forward Miroslav Klose – who is the all-time top goalscorer in World Cup history with 16 goals – a record that Mbappe will surely overtake given he is just 24.
Meanwhile, Mbappe’s PSG team-mate Lionel Messi remains in Argentina as the World Cup winners continue to party in Buenos Aires to celebrate their triumph.
Along with his stellar performance on Sunday, footage released also showed Mbappe delivered a rousing pep talk to his France team-mates during the World Cup final, urging them that they could come back from two goals down to beat Argentina.
‘It’s a World Cup final, it’s the match of a lifetime. We can’t get any worse, anyway,’ Mbappe said as he addressed the changing room .
‘Let’s go back on the field, either we let them play or we put a little intensity and we go into the duels and we do something else guys. It’s the World Cup final.
‘It’s done, they scored two goals, we’re two goals down. We can come back! Guys, it’s something like this only every four years.’
As Mbappe returns to training with his club, PSG have been enjoying an impressive season as they currently sit top of Ligue 1, still unbeaten after 15 games.
They also avoided defeat throughout their Champions League group – but finished second – by virtue of Benfica scoring more goals away from home.
Mbappe was in fine form before the World Cup, scoring 19 goals and adding five assists in just 20 games in all competitions.
