Not always the most popular man in Brazil due to his relationship with Neymar, Kylian Mbappe has won the country back.
Mbappe was known in Brazil for his moments of tension at PSG with Neymar, but his support of Vinicius on Tuesday night has turned things around dramatically.
Mbappe was seen fronting up during Real Madrid’s 1-0 when over Benfica when Vinicius accused Gianluca Prestianni of racism.
His French teammate went further post-match, saying he heard the word ‘monkey’ five times, and refused to say Prestianni’s name, just referencing his shirt number.
Known as one of football’s most eloquent footballers in multiple languages, such a display of solidarity has earned him millions of new fans according to one reporter who was there in the mixed zone post-match.
“For the past 48 hours, it’s been hard to find a person more loved in Brazil than Mbappé,” journalist Tatiana Mantovani said.
“Kylian Mbappé has won the hearts of Brazilians this week by defending Vinicius.
“He was very sincere, he told us everything that had happened on the pitch, everything he had seen, heard, and experienced.
“He wanted to make sure that all Brazilians knew what had happened on the field.
“What Kylian did was ensure that no one could doubt what Vinicius had said.”
She continued: “He arrived saying to me, ‘Hoje tudo bem?’ (‘How are you today?’), already making a connection with Brazil.
“I had never heard him say anything in Portuguese, and then at the end he said ‘obrigado’ (‘thank you’).
“I think he wanted to show that more than being with Vinicius , he is with everyone who believes in Vinicius.
“The way he handled everything, with such clarity, is why Brazil loves Kylian so much today.”
What did Kylian Mbappe say post-match?
Speaking to the media after the incident, Mbappe said: “There’s Benfica’s No. 25, I don’t want to say his name because he doesn’t deserve to be named, that started speaking badly.
“Then he pulled his jersey up to here [covering his mouth] to say that Vini is a monkey five times. I heard it. There are Benfica players that also heard it.
“I have maximum respect for Benfica, for their coach [José Mourinho], one of the best in history, that is part of Real Madrid’s history.
“But this player [Prestianni] doesn’t deserve to play this competition. We have to give the best example to youngsters, if we let this go, then the values of football serve for nothing, everything we believe in is for nothing. We have to do something.”
Leave a Reply