Soccer superstar Kylian Mbappe has officially completed his free transfer to Real Madrid, with social media quickly comparing the move to Kevin Durant’s highly-scrutinized July 2016 decision to join the Warriors on NBA free agency.
Mbappe, widely recognized as one of the greatest players on the planet, joins a Real Madrid side that has just won the Champions League for the second time in three seasons, with social media drawing parallels with Durant joining Golden State in the wake of his emergence. – Consecutive NBA Finals appearances.
The comparison is interesting, it should be noted that Durant joins a Warriors team that just lost the NBA Finals, while Mbappe joins a Madrid team that just won the most prestigious club cup in the world without his services.
However, Durant has joined a team bearing the reigning Player of the Year Steph Curry, and Mbappe has also joined a team that includes several Ballon d’Or contenders such as Vinicius Junior and Jude Bellingham.
Mbappe, 25, has spent the past seven seasons with Paris Saint-Germain, winning the Ligue 1 title – the top division of French football – in six of those seasons. Despite domestic success, Mbappé and Paris Saint-Germain were never able to secure the elusive Champions League trophy, which Real Madrid won for a record 15th time last weekend.
The 25-year-old star also captains the France national team, serving as a key component in the country’s 2018 World Cup victory. Mbappe gave it his all in France’s 2022 World Cup final loss to Argentina, scoring a hat-trick before eventually losing on penalties to Lionel Messi.
Durant and Golden State went on to win back-to-back NBA Finals, falling within striking distance of a three-peat after serious injuries derailed the Warriors’ 2019 championship hopes.
Critics downplayed Durant’s accomplishments with Golden State — two Larry O’Brien Awards and two consecutive Finals MVP honors — because of the talent the Warriors already possessed before his arrival. Will Mbappé be subject to the same standards if Real Madrid continues its dominance of European football? Time will tell, but for now the comparison seems apt for many.
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