The PSG forward almost singlehandedly hauled his side back into the contest from 2-0 down in normal time, before again coming to their rescue in extra time as he completed an inspired hat-trick on the biggest stage.
Mbappe was unplayable at times as he terrorised the Argentina defence, and it was hugely unfortunate for him to have to end up on the losing team in a final that will be remembered for a very long time.
Captioned next to a photo of him looking down glumly at his Golden Boot award and with the trophy also in the shot, Mbappe simply declared: “We will return.”
It was a powerful statement given all he had given to the tournament as the top goalscorer and one of the two biggest names on the pitch, alongside Lionel Messi, with the final effectively pitting the two superstars against each other.
Nous reviendrons. 🇫🇷🙏🏽 pic.twitter.com/Ni2WhO6Tgd
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) December 19, 2022
“It gives still more regrets,” he said. “At 2-0, if we concede a third goal, there’s nothing to say. We haven’t done what was needed for nearly an hour.
“Afterwards, with lots of courage, quality too and energy, we forced them right back into the corner, and then that counts for what? One chance in the 120th minute, a shot into the goalkeeper’s feet.
“Then, the penalty shootout, which is always difficult when we are not on the good side [facing the Argentina fans].
“In this World Cup, we have shown proof of lots of quality and energy. In this match, we came back from nowhere. When we come back from nowhere, when we catch up, when we touch something and it escapes us, it’s even harder to digest. But it’s like that, we have to accept it.”
