It is true that Kylian Mbappe was unable to deliver the World Cup final trophy to France, but he nevertheless maintained a rich level of popularity throughout the entire week after the final. It was not due to his three-goal effort. It was rather focused around Emiliano Martinez’s celebrations. No matter how fast he could get up after the game, Martinez would interrupt his teammates’ celebrations to do a minute of silence for Kylian Mbappe. After their 2-1 win over Strasbourg, Mbappe introduced what he had said to Lionel Messi following the game. “I spoke with Messi after the game, I congratulated him. It was important for him, for me too, but I lost and you have to display maturity to congratulate [my opponent].”
“The celebrations are not my problem. I don’t spend energy on such trivial things. The most important thing for me is to give my best for my club,” Mbappe commented on the whole Emi Martinez ordeal.