"Will wait for Leo Messi to come back" - PSG superstar Kylian Mbappe responds to Argentina celebrations and says it is not his 'problem'
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Kylian Mbappe has responded to Argentina's celebrations following their 2022 FIFA World Cup triumph and the return of Lionel Messi.
Messi and Mbappe both enjoyed themselves at the FIFA World Cup, but it was Argentina that emerged victorious in the final. Kylian Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final but had to see France lose on penalties while his teammate finally fulfilled his dream of winning the World Cup.
Argentina's wild celebrations following their third FIFA World Cup triumph have been criticized by many.
Many of the La Albiceleste players, particularly Golden Glove winner Emi Martinez, have particularly targeted Mbappe during celebrations. However, the PSG superstar has insisted that he is not bothered by the celebrations at all.
Kylian Mbappe: “I congratulated Messi at the end of the match. It was quest of lifetime for him, for me too, but I lost. […] We will wait for Leo’s return for new victories and goals.” https://t.co/xfsBFgDocm
The France international has also claimed that he is waiting for his teammate Lionel Messi to return to help the team achieve their target.
After PSG's comeback 2-1 victory against Strasbourg in Ligue 1 on Wednesday night, he said (as quoted by RMC Sport):
“Celebrations are not my problem. Don't waste energy on such futile things, the important thing for me is to give the best of myself for my club, and we will wait for Leo Messi to come back to continue scoring and winning games."
PSG returned to action on Wednesday after the FIFA World Cup break and had to work hard to secure a win against Strasbourg.
After Christophe Galtier's side were reduced to 10 men following Neymar's dismissal, Kylian Mbappe secured a late 2-1 comeback win for his side.
Lionel Messi did not feature for the Parisian giants and will not return to action until early January.
Galtier confirms relationship between PSG superstars Messi and Mbappe will remain solid
PSG manager Christophe Galtier has insisted that the relationship between Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe remains solid despite their tense duel in the 2022 FIFA World Cup final.
Speaking to the press ahead of their Ligue 1 clash with Strasbourg, he said (via RMC Sport):
"I don't comment on the way they celebrate, that belongs to the Argentinians. I don't have to deal with the case of the Argentinian goalkeeper. The most important thing is what I saw in the final. Kylian and Leo shook the hand, there is also Kylian's exemplary attitude after the game and before the trophy presentation."
MbappéMessi ❤️ Mbappé https://t.co/Nc2NEq8kdf
He continued:
“He congratulated Leo and the Argentine coach. I remain attached to that, the relationship between Kylian and Leo. It is not Leo who celebrated, we have to leave him out of it."
The French manager further added:
“There's no reason to mix everything up, I don't have to comment on the behavior of the goalkeeper. Kylian had a very good attitude having lost. He was very disappointed but he was able to congratulate Leo with a lot of class, it's very good for the club."
Both PSG stars starred for their respective countries in the FIFA World Cup to lead them to the final. However, it was Argentina who emerged as winners after a tense 120-minute battle that was eventually settled by penalties.