Zinedine Zidane (foto: Getty Images)
Former France star Djibril Cissé claims Kylian Mbappé will never reach Zinedine Zidane’s legendary status among French fans, despite his record-breaking achievements for club and country.
Kylian Mbappé may already be one of football’s biggest icons, but in the eyes of many in France, he still stands in the shadow of Zinedine Zidane. Former national team forward Djibril Cissé has boldly claimed that the Real Madrid superstar will never be adored by the French public in the same way as the 1998 World Cup winner.
Speaking to *Poker Strategy*, Cissé said: “I don’t think Kylian Mbappé will ever be thought of as highly as Zinedine Zidane by the French people. Mbappé is definitely loved and he’s an outstanding player, but Zidane was universally loved. I don’t think we’ll ever see another player reach that level of admiration.”
While Cissé praised Mbappé’s talent and success, he believes Zidane’s emotional bond with the French public is unmatched. “There’s no doubt Mbappé can become the most decorated French footballer of all time, but whether he reaches that legendary status Zidane had is another question,” he added.
At just 26, Mbappé’s achievements are already staggering. He has scored 52 goals for France and is just six short of Olivier Giroud’s all-time record. On the global stage, he has netted 12 World Cup goals — only one behind Just Fontaine’s French record and four behind Miroslav Klose’s all-time tally.
Mbappé burst onto the scene at the 2018 World Cup, guiding Les Bleus to victory, before nearly repeating the feat in 2022 when he finished as the tournament’s top scorer with eight goals in France’s dramatic final loss to Argentina.
Despite a trophyless debut season at Real Madrid, Mbappé has started the 2025–26 campaign on fire, scoring 14 goals across all competitions. Off the pitch, he continues to express admiration for Zidane, telling *L’Équipe* last month that he would love to see the French legend manage the national team after Didier Deschamps’s contract ends in 2026. “He’s Zidane. No one is going to say no. He’s the only one in French football history who has almost all the rights,” Mbappé said.
As France prepare for upcoming World Cup qualifiers against Azerbaijan and Iceland, the debate over Mbappé’s place in French football history continues — a reminder that even for generational talents, true legend status is about more than just numbers.