MOMENT OF THE WEEK: Kylian Mbappe is undoubtedly one of the best players in the world, but he’s not the only Mbappe making waves in football. His younger brother, Ethan Mbappe, recently made his debut for French club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG), following in the footsteps of his talented sibling. While the two brothers have a friendly rivalry, they share a close bond and are always rooting for each other’s success. This is just the latest chapter in the Mbappe family’s football
The evening of Wednesday, 20th December, was one to remember for a famous family in Paris. It was the silver jubilee anniversary of their first biological son (Kylian Mbappe) and the league debut of their second (Ethan Mbappe). For the first, they celebrated his 25th birthday and after he graced his day with an incredible long-range shot and another fine strike, they celebrated his goals as well. On the other hand, the second had his long-awaited league debut on the said day.
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Mbappe Brothers
The two goals took the birthday boy’s tally to 18 goals in 18 games, reestablishing himself as the league’s top scorer. In a game against Metz, it’s so easy to predict a PSG win, so also is it easy to expect some goals from Kylian Mbappe? What no one saw coming, especially on Mbappe’s birthday, was the appearance of two Mbappes at Parc des Princes — not even after the younger Mbappe had seen his supposed debut placed on hold when he was an unused substitute in the game vs Nice earlier this season.
On Kylian’s birthday, Ethan Mbappe, Kylian’s 16-year-old brother who’s been at PSG academy since 2017 when he was 11 — about the same time his brother joined the club on loan from Monaco — was introduced into the game vs Metz at the stoppage time after seeing his brother score 2 goals to give PSG a 3-1 lead over Metz. His entry as a substitute for Manuel Ugarte was received with a massive ovation at the stoppage time on Wednesday night, with their proud parents being among those in the stands.
Unlike his brother, the 16-year-old Ethan Mbappe is left-footed and he’s not one to expect a lot of goals and exquisite finishes from, as he plays as a central midfielder, known for his ball control, technical gifts, and passing ability.
His debut lasted a few minutes, but football faithful know that such memories span one’s lifetime, coupling the fact that it was his superstar brother’s birthday. The older Mbappe has left some huge boots for him to fill. The Parisians can only hope that Kylian’s brilliance is genetically transmitted to Ethan.
