Catch up TV

Episode 18 May 2024

What makes Kylian Mbappé so special?\n\nFrom tough Paris suburbs to the pinnacle of football, this exploration of Mbappé’s once-in-a-generation talent uncovers the influences and opportunities that led him to becoming one of the best players in the world and a cultural icon.\n\nFascinating insight from former French legends Thierry Henry and Hugo Lloris, current manager Didier Deschamps and former Arsenal boss Arsene Wenger bring to life both Mbappé’s career-changing struggles and his phenomenal successes.\n\nDelving deep into his upbringing in the Parisian suburb of Bondy, friends and coaches share their memories of Kylian’s early flair and the grounding influence of his parents, while Henry’s insights on the prestigious Clairefontaine academy and Manchester City star Bernardo Silva’s recollections of Kylian’s arrival in the Monaco first team, reveal how a teenage Mbappé was able to hone his drive and talent.\n\nCharting the highs and lows of his career, this documentary brings to life Deschamps’s harnessing of a footballing gift that enabled Mbappé to emulate Pele in the 2018 World Cup final, while also exploring Mbappé’s devastation after missing a crucial penalty at Euro 2020 and the racist abuse that followed.\n\nLiverpool’s Ibrahima Konaté reveals Kylian’s growth as a dressing room leader at the 2022 World Cup, particularly in the dramatic final in which Mbappé’s hat-trick cemented him alongside Lionel Messi as a global footballing great.\n\nFrom his early grassroots matches in Bondy, to leading his country, this documentary charts Kylian’s meteoric rise to World Cup winner and heir apparent to Cristiano Ronaldo and Messi.\n\nThis is the definitive story of a footballing prodigy.

Source: BBC 1