“He already deserves his place among the greatest,” Samuel Eto’o defends Mbappé.

At 27, Kylian Mbappé continues to break records while wearing the French national team jersey. With over a hundred caps and 64 goals for Les Bleus, the French captain has established himself as one of the key players of his generation. However, his status in the history of French football continues to spark debate. For Samuel Eto’o, this discussion shouldn’t even be happening. In an interview with Le Parisien, the former striker for FC Barcelona and Inter Milan stated that the French forward has already shown everything necessary to be counted among the greatest names in hexagonal football.

The president of the Cameroonian Football Federation particularly questions the criteria used to assess the career of the 2018 World Champion. “What else must Kylian Mbappé achieve to be fully recognized as the best French player of his generation, or even as one of the greatest French players in history?” he asked.

Beyond the sporting aspect, Samuel Eto’o also raises a broader reflection on the perception of the Real Madrid striker. According to him, Mbappé’s Cameroonian and Algerian roots might, consciously or unconsciously, influence how certain observers perceive him.

“It is legitimate to ask a question, even if it is uncomfortable: does Kylian’s mixed heritage, his origins, and what he represents in French society influence, consciously or unconsciously, the way some judge his career, his personality, and his stances?” said the former Cameroonian international.

Without making any certainties, Eto’o believes this question deserves to be addressed seriously, reminding that prejudices and discrimination remain a reality in many societies. A strong stance that reignites the debate on the recognition of Kylian Mbappé, both for his immense sporting career and for the place he occupies in the landscape of French football.