Lewandowski and Mbappe square off as France faces Poland

It is depressing to consider that Mbappe, who won't turn 24 until later this month, may not yet be at the height of his abilities despite having scored seven goals in 10 World Cup games. This total includes one in the 2018 championship game, which France won over Croatia in Moscow when he was still a teenager. His current goal is to assist his nation in becoming the first to defend the World Cup since 1962 when Brazil did it with an even younger Pele.

As the uncontested hero of Didier Deschamps' team, Mbappe has already scored three goals in Qatar, including a brace in a 2-1 victory over Denmark that guaranteed qualification for the round of 16. Because of this, it's possible that Karim Benzema's injury-related withdrawal on the eve of the tournament doesn't hurt French prospects in the same way it might at Paris Saint-Germain, where he shares the spotlight with Lionel Messi and Neymar.