Moscow — When teenager Kylian Mbappe netted France’s fourth goal in the World Cup final, thoughts turned to the possibility that the French could go on to emulate the dominant Brazilian teams led by their great striker Pele. The 19-year-old Mbappe became only the second teenager after Pele to score in a World Cup final, as a talented French side overcame Croatia 4-2 to win the sport’s top prize for the second time, 20 years after their first triumph. Pele did it at the age of 17 in 1958, sparking a period of dominance as Brazil won three World Cups in a 12-year period, culminating in a one-sided final victory over Italy in 1970. While there are growing comparisons between Mbappe and Pele, the Parisian still has a long way to go to even come close to matching the achievements of the great Brazilian. But the precocious Mbappe could be one of the pillars of a French team with the potential to dominate the world game in the way Pele and his teammates did from the late 1950s through to 1...
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