Kylian Mbappé received a hero's welcome this afternoon as the PSG frontman returned to his hometown of Bondy, on the outskirts of Paris, for the first time as a World Champion.
Checking into the town's Leo Lagrange stadium, Mbappé was greeted by thousands of locals including school kids as he high-fived his way onto a stage to be presented with an image of him kissing the World Cup trophy. Back on the soil where his football journey began, which was scarily not even that long ago, Mbappé thanked his jubilant fans.
"It's a great pleasure for me to see you, you do not know how happy I am to see you, I'm happier than you, I would have liked to come with the World Cup but it's not possible because it does not move.
"It's a privilege to come back to Bondy. I really thank everyone who contributed to this, it's a great party. I hope everyone will have a wonderful time, it's a moment I won't forget. It's a magical moment, a lot of emotion to come back to the city where I grew up. I have almost everything here."
Wearing his signature 'KM' branded cap, Mbappé was flanked by his security and management team wearing 'Mbappé' branded tees with a new logo of his signature crossed-arms celebration replacing the 'A' – a symbol which could well play a stronger role as his personal brand expands. The PSG frontman dished out a load of tees, winks and more high-fives as he visited his old school and old friends.
The kid is still 19. Nine-teen. He was still playing Wembley Doubles on that pitch about 3 years ago. Probs...
