Kylian Mbappe was named the ‘Best French Player Abroad’ at the UNFP Awards on Sunday (May 11) despite a rollercoaster ride in his debut season at Real Madrid. He pipped the likes of Barcelona’s Jules Kounde, Bayern Munich’s Michael Olise, and Arsenal’s William Saliba to claim the individual accolade.
Mbappe joined Real Madrid after leaving Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) as a free agent last summer but had a quite slow start to life in the Spanish capital. However, with 38 goals across competitions so far, the Frenchman has flipped the narrative surrounding his move to Madrid.
After scoring a hat-trick in the 4-3 defeat to Barcelona on Sunday, Mbappe has leapfrogged Robert Lewandowski in the race for the Pichichi.
Notably, the accolade is Kylian Mbappe’s first individual honor since he joined Los Blancos. His three goals against Barcelona on Sunday also saw him surpass Ivan Zamorano’s record for the most goals scored in a debut season at Real Madrid. The former Chilean striker scored 37 goals in his maiden campaign (1992-93 season) at Los Blancos.
Kylian Mbappe starred in Sunday’s El Clasico despite ending up on the losing side. Real Madrid and Barcelona have played against each other four times this season, and Mbappé scored in three of the four meetings.
The Frenchman gave his side a two-goal lead with a brace in the opening 14 minutes. But goals from Eric Garcia, Lamine Yamal, and a Raphinha brace saw Real Madrid trail by two goals before the break. Mbappe completed his hat-trick in the 70th minute, but it ended up being a consolation goal as Hansi Flick’s men saw out the remaining minutes.
In 90 minutes of play, Mbappe registered four shots on target, created one big chance, and won a penalty.
In the post-match press conference, Carlo Ancelotti said about his performance (via the club’s official website):
An ardent Chelsea fan, Ezekiel’s journey as a football fan began in his childhood, witnessing Ronaldinho dazzle with his skills. His interest in the beautiful game deepened after Nigeria were knocked out of the 2010 FIFA World Cup; he was impressed with the Super Eagles’ fighting spirit in their 2-2 Group B draw against South Korea. Some other World Cup matches which have left a deep impact on him were Belgium’s incredible comeback against Japan in the round of 16 of the 2018 version and the 2022 final.
Lionel Messi is the one true GOAT for Ezekiel and he also follows the Major League Soccer and the Saudi Pro League owing to him and Cristiano Ronaldo. When not writing, he spends his free time deepening his SEO knowledge and watching skits.
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