Kylian Mbappe says he will never get over his World Cup heartbreak but will not waste time embarking on a war of words with Argentina shot-stopper Emiliano Martinez.
- Erik ten Hag tells Man Utd he is frustrated by failure to sign Cody Gakpo
- Christian Eriksen claims Man Utd have already forgotten Cristiano Ronaldo
The France international cemented his status as the heir apparent to Lionel Messi in Qatar, producing a number of impressive displays, culminating in an historic performance in the final.
Mbappe became the first player since Sir Geoff Hurst in 1966 to score a hat-trick in the final which ended in defeat after Martinez’s excellence in the penalty shootout.
The Golden Boot was little consolation for the PSG star who subsequently became an unlikely target for Argentina’s stars, and Martinez in particular, during their post match celebrations.
Martinez was filmed asking for a minutes’ silence for Mbappe in the dressing room after the match, and courted even more controversy during their bus parade back in Buenos Aries by holding a doll covered by a picture of Mbappe’s face.
While Messi is currently enjoying an extended break, Mbappe returned to action on Wednesday for the Ligue 1 club and he scored a last minute winner from the spot in a 2-1 victory over Strasbourg.
Asked after the match for a response to the Aston Villa goalkeeper ’s trolling, Mbappe said: ‘They are not my problem. I don’t have energy to waste on such futile things.
’ll never digest it. But like I told my coach and teammates, there’s no reason that my club should pay for a defeat with my national team, it’s two different situations.
‘The message was simple – it was to show that, whatever goes on with the national team, PSG is a separate thing and I’m still determined to bring every trophy to the capital.’
Meanwhile, new Villa head coach Unai Emery insists he will speak with the former Arsenal keeper about controlling his emotions.
He said: ‘We are so proud of him. He won the World Cup, it’s amazing! Aston Villa fans can be very proud. ‘He’s coming back next week so we are expecting him to be ready for the game at Tottenham on New Year’s Day.
‘I want him to rest now because after all that hard work and emotion, he needs it. He had an excellent World Cup and we’re looking forward to having him back.’
