Kylian Mbappé has birthday to remember with two goals and a PSG debut for his 16-year-old brother
Kylian Mbappé (L) scored two goals on his birthday as Ethan Mbappé (R) made his debut. Philippe Lecoeur/FEP/Icon Sport/Getty Images CNN —
Two goals in the French top division and seeing your 16-year-old brother make his professional soccer debut – Kylian Mbappé received presents that money can’t buy for his 25th birthday.
For someone who has achieved so much in the game of soccer, it is hard to believe that PSG’s all-time top scorer has only just reached this milestone and Mbappé reminded all those watching that he will be around for years to come with his performance against Metz on Wednesday.
After Vitinha gave PSG a 1-0 lead just after the halftime break, Mbappé scored his first goal of the night and in some style.
The 2022 World Cup golden boot winner picked the ball up just outside the edge of the Metz box in the 60th minute before curling and dipping a brilliant strike in off the crossbar.
Kylian Mbappé scored two goals against Metz including a brilliant dipping effort from outside the penalty area. Jean Catuffe/Getty Images
Metz got back into the game through a Matthieu Udol header, but if there were any nerves, Mbappé quickly put an end to them.
The French forward was gifted his second goal when he latched onto an under hit pass back to the Metz goalkeeper Alexandre Oukidja. Mbappé beat him to the ball, rounded the keeper and then tapped it into an open net to make it 3-1.
With the game nearing a conclusion, Mbappé was given his final present of the match when PSG manager Luis Enrique gave a debut to Ethan Mbappé as a 90th-minute substitute.
The 16-year-old was not on the field for long, but the Mbappé brothers were able to share the pitch together for the first time in senior football.
Ethan Mbappé made his PSG debut in the game against Metz. Philippe Lecoeur/FEP/Icon Sport/Sipa
“I think it was a nice birthday present for my brother. I’m very happy for him, as well as for myself,” Ethan Mbappé told PSG postgame.
“I’m very happy,” Kylian added. “It’s great for Ethan, but even more so for me as his big brother.
“I thought it was going to be a special day for me, and this match will stay in my memories for a long time.”
While speculation continues to mount over Kylian’s career as he will be free to negotiate with clubs in January as his PSG contract runs out in the summer, PSG fans will be hoping this will be the first of many times they see the Mbappés on the pitch together.