Opinion – The World Is a Ball: How to stop Mbappé?

“I’m sure who the name of the Cup will be. His name is Kylian Mbappé. He’s French. He’s flying. He leaves two meters behind his marker and arrives ten in front. the name of the Cup.”

I’m not Mãe Diná, the famous psychic who died in 2014 (by the way, I don’t believe in psychics), but I made this prediction, when asked by journalist Dani Braga on a TV Folha show, well before the start of the World Cup.

It was on the 4th of November –the World Cup started on the 20th–, when I commented together with the columnists of Sheet Casagrande and Sandro Macedo the call-up of the Brazilian team for the competition in Qatar.

(Parenthesis: Casão bet on Benzema, who ended up out of the Cup injured, and Sandrão said he was cheering for Vinicius Junior, who has been playing well.)

Having reached the quarterfinals, Mbappé, 23, is the top scorer in the Cup, with five goals (two ahead of his closest pursuers, the Brazilian Richarlison among them) and the main highlight of the tournament, ahead of Messi, Neymar, Kane and/or anyone else.

Having made the prophetic introduction, and with France and England ahead – and perhaps Brazil in a possible final (it would be sensational)– , what everyone asks is: is there a way to stop Mbappé?

Before the match against Poland, in the round of 16, the striker Milik stated that he would only use a scooter to chase the number 10 of the Bleus (Blues).

After the game, won by the current world champion by 3-1, with two great goals by Mbappé, right-back Matty Cash, 25, responsible for marking the French star, declared that he left the field exhausted, “with his legs burning”.

That’s even after having spent the day before the match studying the opponent’s style of play for hours.

“I’ve spent the afternoon watching his clips and I knew it was going to be a tough test, but when he catches the ball, stops and then moves, he’s the fastest thing I’ve ever seen. I didn’t know whether to score or wait. He is really unbelievable, he will easily be the best player in the world”, said Cash, player of Aston Villa (England).

English commentators, with the proximity of the clash between the English Team and Mbappé, said, optimistically, to believe that the team coached by Gareth Southgate has the right man to nullify the super-attacker.

“Mbappé against Walker. We have the perfect right-back to deal with Mbappé,” said Gary Neville, a right-back as a player, citing the England No. 2’s physical strength, speed and experience.

“Kyle Walker is the only full-back on the planet who can approach Mbappe and deliver the challenge: one-on-one, let’s go for a race,” said former defender Rio Ferdinand, who spent years with Neville at Manchester United.

Neville and Ferdinand, with all due respect to both of you, see a Walker I don’t see. Walker stop Mbappe? Yes, he has a way: in the blow.

The Manchester City winger, formerly of Tottenham, who also acts as a defender, does not soften. He arrives together and arrives firmly. To be more direct: hit, hit a lot and hit hard.

Walker is 32 years old, nine years older than Mbappé, and he doesn’t have all that speed anymore. Worse: the full-back underwent groin surgery in October and barely recovered in time to go to the Cup.

He stayed out of England’s first two games, played just over half of the third and only played the whole time in the fourth, the round of 16 (3-0 in Senegal). Is he fully recovered? Will the groin withstand facing a Mbappé?

Furthermore, not only Walker, but any scorer for the French star, has the disadvantage of having to face his rival, if he plays the ball in front, turning his body to start the run, while the roadrunner Mbappé already is accelerating.

It’s an illusion to think you can catch him. Individual marking, one-on-one, is an invitation to failure.

At the level he is at today, Mbappé will only be stopped with double marking: one in the first fight, one in coverage.

Maybe not even like that.