China is a huge market for European soccer but its state broadcaster did not broadcast a Real Madrid La Liga game on Sunday because star forward Kylian Mbappe referred to former leader Mao Zedong as “dictator” in a viral video. It is taboo in China to crack jokes about Mao, who died in 1976 and whose drastic policies are blamed by historians for mass starvation and millions of deaths.
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Mbappe strikes after China controversy as Real Madrid beat Santander
Kylian Mbappe moved on from a tumultuous week by scoring a penalty to help Real Madrid win 3-0 at Racing Santander on Sunday. The French forward narrowly lost out on the Ballon d’Or to Bayern Munich’s Harry Kane on Monday and then had to apologise after a social media storm following a video in which […]
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Mbappe says having Zidane as France coach ‘like a film’
Kylian Mbappe says playing under new France coach Zinedine Zidane, 15 years after the French icons first met, is like “something from a film.”
Zidane, the former Real Madrid boss, will take charge of Les Bleus for the first time since replacing Didier Deschamps on Friday in their Nations League match against Turkey in Izmit.
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Mbappe explains Ceuta shirt stance after criticism
Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappe said he wanted to make a gesture in support of immigrants who had lost their lives by not wearing a t-shirt in support of the people of Ceuta properly. Real Madrid players Mbappe, Vinicius Junior and Ibrahima Konate were criticized, including by La Liga president Javier Tebas, for wearing the t-shirt partially rolled up ahead of their La Liga win over Elche. The rest of the team and Elche players wore the t-shirt, which brandished the words “we are all Ceutans.”
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Mbappe retains World Cup Golden Boot crown
Kylian Mbappe became the first player to win the World Cup Golden Boot twice after Lionel Messi failed to add to his tally in Sunday’s final. The France captain scored 10 goals to top the charts ahead of Argentina great Messi, who finished with eight. England midfielder Jude Bellingham and Norway striker Erling Haaland each […]
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Yamal aims to steal Mbappe’s World Cup thunder in semi-final showdown
Lamine Yamal is hoping to emulate Kylian Mbappe by winning the World Cup as a teenager, but first his Spain side will have to get the better of France and their superstar captain in Tuesday’s semi-final. When Mbappe scored in France’s win over Croatia in the deciding match of the 2018 tournament, he was just […]
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Deschamps hails Mbappe after superstar fires France into World Cup semis
France coach Didier Deschamps paid tribute to forward Kylian Mbappe after he scored his eighth goal of the World Cup to fire Les Bleus into the semi-finals on Thursday with a 2-0 victory over Morocco. Mbappe opened the scoring on the hour mark at the Gillette Stadium near Boston having earlier had a penalty saved. […]
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Mbappe hails unity as France rally around Deschamps at World Cup
Kylian Mbappe said France had united behind coach Didier Deschamps after the death of his mother, as a resounding 3-0 win over Sweden on Tuesday booked them a place in the World Cup last 16. Mbappe scored two more goals to take his tally to six at the tournament, giving him 18 World Cup goals […]
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Golden Boot battle steals the show at World Cup
Usually a subplot, the race for the World Cup Golden Boot is one of the main talking points at the 2026 tournament as the top marksmen set a blistering pace. The overall record has already been broken by Argentine superstar Lionel Messi, who now has 18 goals over six World Cups after adding five in […]
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‘A long night’: Mbappe comes through storm to keep up World Cup scoring run
Kylian Mbappe said he was not paying too much attention to World Cup scoring records after getting two more goals on what he described as a draining night in Philadelphia, as France beat Iraq 3-0 in a game interrupted by a two-hour storm delay. Mbappe’s strikes came either side of half-time on his 100th appearance […]