Bukayo Saka Responds to Comparisons with Kylian Mbappe and Facing France
The English sensation of the 2022 FIFA World Cup, Bukayo Saka, has admitted to the press that “there’s only one Kylian Mbappe,” after being compared to the French super striker.
Mbappe became the youngest player to score in a World Cup final since Pele and aided the Les Blues in winning the World Cup for the French four years ago in 2018 Russia. The Paris Saint-Germain striker was also named the best young player and has continued to shine since then.
Mbappe is also leading the race to win the Golden Boot this year in the Qatar World Cup, with 5 goals and more to come in the upcoming matches. He has also equaled Lionel Messi’s record while playing three fewer World Cups than the Argentine.
Bukayo Saka, who has scored three goals for the English side, is two years junior to Mbappe and performing spectacularly in his first World Cup. He scored England’s inaugural tournament goal and netted against Senegal.
These fantastical goals that he netted in the game landed him in the spotlight of global media, who have been making comparisons of him with Kylian Mbappe, who made a similar impactful World Cup debut in the 2018 edition of the tournament.
Saka, being as humble as ever, has shut down all such comparisons with Mbappe or that he could even be this World Cup’s Mbappe. He said in his humble comments:
“Thank you for your compliment, but no… there’s only one Kylian Mbappe. At the same time, there’s only one me; I just want to be myself and help my team in the best way I can. There are a lot of young players in this tournament, and I can name so many.”
“Even in our team there’s another young player alongside us doing unbelievably well in Jude Bellingham. I’m just happy that we’re all here and doing well and the priority is to try and win the tournament, rather than be the Player of the Tournament or the Young Player of the Tournament.”
England is now set to face the defending champions, France, and Saka is about to faceoff against Mbappe. Only one of the two star youngsters will be proceeding to the semi-finals after their battle in the quarterfinals.
“The rivalry in this World Cup is big – two nations that have performed exceptionally well,” Saka said on facing France in the quarterfinals. “We’ve followed them, and we see the quality they have. It’s going to be an exciting game. Obviously, we know the quality they have, but we know our own quality also. We just have to play our best game.’
He further added, “I think of course this [England] team has a lot players that have played in big tournaments – a lot of tournament experience. The last few tournaments we’ve done well. When the big games come, we have a lot of players that know what they need to do.”
