Mbappé promised to change at the World Cup — and the data shows he's keeping his word
Criticised for his lack of pressing, Mbappé vowed to change at the World Cup — and the numbers from his first matches show he's delivering on that promise.
Everyone has that friend who promises to change — and rarely does. Mbappé might be the exception.
At the end of last season, the French superstar made headlines for a less-than-glorious reason: he was the forward who pressed the least across all of Europe. The criticism landed, and he responded with a pledge. "I have to take an extra step defensively. It's important for the team and I'm going to do that starting from the World Cup," Mbappé told Le Parisien.
And he did. At least that's what the World Cup numbers suggest, according to Marca. Comparing the data from the domestic season with the four matches played so far — three in the group stage and the round-of-16 clash against Sweden — there is a clear difference in the defensive effort of the French number 10. The only statistic that remains unchanged is the distance covered: 8.49 km per match on average, both in the league and at the World Cup.
The Golmetria model gives France an 11% chance of winning the title — below what the market suggests, with an implied probability of 17.86%. A team that depends on Mbappé firing on all cylinders across every area of the pitch.
If the committed version of the Frenchman holds up in the quarter-finals and beyond, France becomes a genuine favourite for the trophy. If it turns out to be nothing more than a group-stage promise, the world will find out soon enough.
The World Cup always calls in its debts early.