The words, already very strong, were spoken before February 16 and Kylian Mbappé's spectacular hat-trick at Camp Nou, in the knockout stages of the Champions League against Barcelona (1-4).
In Sportweek, the weekend supplement of the Italian daily La Gazzetta dello Sport, King Pelé pays a new tribute to the PSG striker.
"Mbappé can become my heir, and I'm not saying that as a joke," says the Brazilian, now 80 years old.
I can see myself in his ability to play fast.
He is an attacker who thinks quickly.
When the ball arrives, he already knows what to do, he already has in mind where to go and how to orient the game to find the best solution.
These are also important characteristics in football today.
And then Kylian is also fast in the race and in dribbling, like me ”.
"The figures prove that Pelé is right"
This is not the first time that Pelé has shown praise for the young Frenchman, who indeed resembles him on many points.
In April 2019, during a meeting organized in Paris by a common partner, the Brazilian had already launched: “Mbappé, he is intelligent, fast and unpredictable.
A lot of players are technically good, but he plays unpredictably.
He deserves to win the Ballon d'Or.
He envies me, that's why he tries to imitate me.
But it's good that young players score goals.
"
Su #Sportweek # Pelè incorona # Mbappé “Sarà il nuovo O'Rei” #PSG https://t.co/RMe8F3cFDk #premium
- LaGazzettadelloSport (@Gazzetta_it) March 5, 2021
In Sportweek, Mbappé is also designated as favorite for the Ballon d'Or by Jean-Pierre Papin, winner in 1991. In the Italian magazine, journalist Alessandro Grandesso underlines that “Mbappé already scores more than Messi and Ronaldo at the same age.
At 22 years and 70 days, Leo and CR7 had scored 17 and 2 goals respectively in the Champions League, against 24 for the world champion.
And the gap is even greater if we look at the league goals: 98 Mbappé, 54 Messi and 34 Ronaldo.
Figures that prove that Pelé is right.
"
The journalist underlines that the extension of Mbappé is "an absolute priority" in Paris as in Doha, "even more than the attempt to bring Messi to PSG".
An international showcase for Qatar
For Alessandro Grandesso “the reasons are not only sporting, but also prestige”.
“In fact, the Emir of Qatar would prefer to reach his World Cup, scheduled for the end of 2022 and the first in history in an Arab country, with a PSG still of high level, filled with stars.
Mainly with Mbappé, he explains.
Pochettino's team remains in fact the international showcase of the soft power policies of the small state of the Middle East and Mbappé has since become much more than a simple testimony.
"
The Italian journalist finally recalls that even the Minister of Sports, Roxana Maracineanu recently implored Mbappé to stay in France.
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Julien Cazarre's merry band and the comedians of Action Discrète have also just unveiled a pickling cover of the “Restos du Cœur” hymn to ask Mbappé not to leave the French championship.