Almost three years ago, a 19-year-old striker by the name of Kylian Mbappé announced himself as a superstar in the making with a stunning individual display in the 2018 World Cup's round of 16, leading France to a 4-3 victory over Argentina. Since then, however, he has not had a similar signature performance for PSG, largely due to the presence of other elite players such as Neymar and Edinson Cavani.
With Neymar once again ruled out due to a left adductor injury and Cavani having left PSG for Manchester United during the past off-season, the door was open for Mbappé to deliver a signature individual performance for his club. In the first leg of PSG's Champions League round of 16 tie against Barcelona, he did exactly that. Mbappé showcased just why many expect him to become a future Ballon d'Or winner by torching Lionel Messi and company with an electrifying hattrick, leading PSG to a 4-1 victory. PSG's lop-sided victory almost certainly guaranteed them a place in the quarterfinals.
Although this has not been an easy season for PSG by any means, Mbappé has clearly been their standout player. He is on track to become Ligue 1's leading goalscorer for the third consecutive season. Mbappé's contributions to his hometown club's success have been especially important this season because there is a genuine chance that they might lose the league title for the first time since 2017.
Mbappé's talent has never been in doubt. This season, though, he has taken his game to a new level. Despite being the third-youngest player currently at PSG, he has shown maturity and poise rarely seen in a player aged just 22. He is now not only a player capable of making incredible plays at any given moment; his understanding of the game has increased to a point at which he almost always makes the right decision. This is a trait of which not many players can boast; that said, it's one which Mbappé clearly has now.
Mbappé's interplay with Moise Kean has exceeded the expectations of many. PSG acquired Kean during the off-season on loan from Everton. After a difficult first season at Goodison Park, not many expected Kean to play as well as he is right now. However, Mbappé has been able to fine-tune his playstyle this season to blend well with that of his Italian strike partner, and this has allowed Kean to have a breakout season of his own.
This, of course, leads to the question: can Kylian Mbappé lead PSG to its first Champions League title? After all, many of the problems which plague this club are mental above all else. Over the past few seasons, PSG have invariably faltered on Europe's biggest stage when the lights have been brightest and the pressure at its most intense. Although Qatar Sports Investments has spent a colossal amount of money ever since acquiring the club in 2012, they have only once advanced past the Champions League quarterfinals since then. Almost as if to emphasize this point, PSG's most iconic Champions League moment over the past decade was a 6-1 round of 16 capitulation against Barça. This loss caused them to surrender a seemingly unassailable first-leg lead and exit the competition in humiliating fashion.
That being said, there seems to be such a difference between the current PSG led by Mbappé when compared to the club's previous iterations spearheaded by Neymar or Zlatan Ibrahimović. As great a player as Neymar was and is, you just never got the sense that he was the one who would lead PSG to the title they most desired. The same was true of the PSG teams built around Ibrahimović. However, especially after PSG's breakthrough Champions League campaign last season in which they reached the final for the first time, the current squad just seems to have something different which its predecessors never had.
PSG's road to a historic Champions League title will not be an easy one. Reigning champions Bayern Munich remain the overwhelming favourites to defend their title, while Atlético Madrid, Real Madrid, Manchester City, and RB Leipzig will be no pushovers themselves. That being said, should Mbappé continue to hit the heights which many expect him to, PSG might have the best chance they've ever had to land European football's greatest prize.
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