Kylian Mbappe posts cryptic message as Real Madrid face PSG at FIFA Club World Cup

Kylian Mbappe has shared a cryptic message on social media ahead of Real Madrid's game against Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) this week. The LaLiga giants lock horns with the Ligue 1 champions at the MetLife Stadium on Wednesday, July 9, in the FIFA Club World Cup semifinals.

Los Blancos arrive at the game via a 3-2 win over Borussia Dortmund in the quarterfinals. Interestingly, Mbappe started the game from the bench after missing the start of the tournament with illness.

In the French superstar's absence, Real Madrid found a new darling in Gonzalo Garcia. The Spanish striker has scored four goals from five games at the FIFA Club World Cup under Xabi Alonso, including a 10th-minute opener against Dortmund.

Kylian Mbappe, however, came off the bench against the German giants to score Los Blancos' third goal of the game. The 26-year-old has been a revelation for the LaLiga giants since joining them as a free agent last summer following the expiry of his contract with PSG.

Mbappe is all set to face his former club this week and took to social media to share a picture of himself in PSG's kit.

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Kylian Mbappe currently wears the No. 9 at Real Madrid, and has scored 44 goals from 58 games for the club this season. Interestingly, the Frenchman recently became the first Los Blancos player to score in seven tournaments in a single season. Meanwhile, the winner of Wednesday's game will face Chelsea in the FIFA Club World Cup final.

Will Kylian Mbappe start for Real Madrid against PSG this week?

Journalist Raul Varela has advised Real Madrid manager Xabi Alonso to start Kylian Mbappe against PSG on Wednesday. The Frenchman is now fully fit, but Gonzalo Garcia's red-hot form means that Alonso could face a dilemma regarding his team selection.

However, speaking recently as cited by PSG Talk, Varela insisted that Mbappe must start as he will have unfinished business against his former club.

“I think that Mbappé, whether he’s bad, good or average, has to play all the time. It’s not just any game, because it’s a different story that the semifinal match was against Bayern, but with the amount of unfinished business that Mbappé has with PSG… Not playing Mbappé means keeping him sulking until Christmas and Xabi Alonso can’t allow that,” said Varela.

Mbappe has won the UEFA Super Cup and the FIFA Intercontinental Cup with Real Madrid since arriving last summer.

About the author

Deepungsu is a veteran football journalist who has been covering daily transfer roundups and news for over seven years at Sportskeeda. He has written more than 9000 articles for the website, and has garnered over 20 million reads.

Deepungsu holds a PG degree in Microbiology and an MBA degree in Total Quality Management. He has an extensive two-decade long writing experience, which includes a decade of sports blogging. His writing prowess has even led his work getting cited on the legendary Franz Beckenbauer's Wikipedia page.

Inspired by Diego Maradona, Deepungsu played as an attacking midfielder for his local club at subdivision level in his initial years and scored an important goal or two. However, his all-time favorite footballer is Lionel Messi, and evidently, he feels Argentina's glory in 2022 is his favorite FIFA World Cup moment for fulfilling his long-standing dream. He is also an ardent East Bengal fan.

Deepungsu has been a Manchester United supporter since the year 2000. Unsurprisingly, his favorite manager is Sir Alex Ferguson and the Scotsman helped him get through some of the toughest days of his life. Like the fiery Scot, Deepungsu also leaves no stone unturned when it comes to accuracy in articles and only relies on credible sources.

Despite believing in Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland to create an iconic rivalry, Deepungsu reckons no one can match the longevity of Messi and Ronaldo. He spends his leisure time writing about life on his blog, reading books, and playing the guitar.

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Edited by Deepungsu Pandit