Kylian Mbappé, the star forward from France, might have been more focused on Lionel Messi’s scoring achievements during the FIFA World Cup final than on the game’s outcome itself.
This is likely because, with 10 goals in the tournament, Mbappé would have taken home the Golden Boot—if Messi hadn’t netted two goals, making his own total rise to ten just in time.
Interestingly, Messi didn’t score in the final match where his team lost 1-0 to Spain, which I suppose could’ve offered a small consolation for Mbappé.
Adding a personal twist, Mbappé’s girlfriend, actress Esther Exposito, hails from Spain, and she seemed quite invested in the final’s result. She shared her excitement for Spain’s victory via an Instagram Story, which was quite candid.
In her post, she also included a screenshot from what looked like a FaceTime call with friends celebrating in the streets, while her joyful face appeared in the corner of the screen.
The simple heart emoji she used as a caption really captured her delight at that moment.
However, Exposito had mixed feelings when her nation faced off against France, led by Mbappé, in last week’s semi-final.
She chose to remain neutral, stating, “That’s a difficult choice for me,” when asked which team she thought might win the World Cup.
Ultimately, Spain triumphed with a 2-0 victory and advanced to play Argentina in the final, allowing Exposito to celebrate without conflicting emotions this time.
Perhaps Mbappé’s concern about the final stemmed from his past experience playing alongside Messi at Paris Saint-Germain. Still, it’s hard to believe he’s not thinking about his team’s disappointing loss to the newly crowned champions.
