Kylian Mbappe Set To Surpass Pele In World Cup Titles?

Kylian Mbappe still has at least another two World Cup tournaments to play and can probably win the same three World Cup titles Pele won.

Kylian Mbappe, the young French forward, always revered Brazilian football legend Pele as the true GOAT despite having Cristiano Ronaldo as his childhood hero and playing with Messi at PSG. Since Mbappe still has at least another two World Cup tournaments to play in, he can probably win the same three World Cup titles Pele won, CNN reported.

Mbappe and Pele share various similarities in their football career. Mbappe become the second teenager in football history to score in the World Cup's knockout stages behind Pele. Meanwhile, Mbappé also has all the attributes Pele used to possess when he was a youngster and he also leads a generational national team.

Pele's goal-scoring average was far more impressive than Mbappé's at the same age. In 1958, Pele scored a brace in the World Cup final when Brazil won the title against Sweden. Meanwhile, in 2022, even though Mbappé got himself a hat-trick, it was not enough for him to win the trophy against Lionel Messi's Argentina, MARCA reported.

Mbappe died at the age of 82 on Thursday, Dec. 29 from multiple organ failure due to the progression of colon cancer.

Pelé was admitted to a hospital in São Paulo in late November for a respiratory infection and also for complications related to colon cancer. After a few weeks of treatment, last week, the hospital said his health had worsened as his cancer progressed.

“I was born to play football, just like Beethoven was born to write music and Michelangelo was born to paint,” Pelé famously said.

"He turned football into art, into entertainment. He gave a voice to the poor, to black people and especially: He gave visibility to Brazil. Football and Brazil have raised their status thanks to the King!” Brazilian footballer Neymar wrote on Instagram.

“The king of football has left us but his legacy will never be forgotten.” Mbappe said.

Following his death, a public wake will be held for Pelé on Monday at the Urbano Caldeira Stadium, popularly known as Vila Belmiro and home to Santos football club, in Brazil’s São Paulo state.

The wake at Vila Belmiro will continue until Tuesday at 10 a.m. local time (8 a.m. ET). Following this, a funeral procession will carry Pelé’s coffin through the streets of the city of Santos, including the street where Pelé’s 100-year-old mother, Celeste Arantes, lives.