Kylian Mbappé: "There is more merit in being Ethan than in being me"

Kylian Mbappé paid a strong tribute to his younger brother Ethan in an interview with Onze Mondial, stating that there is “more merit in being him than in being me.” At 19 years old, Ethan Mbappé is beginning his third season at LOSC, constantly watched under a name that precedes each of his appearances.

The Real Madrid striker explains the fundamental difference between their respective starts: “When I arrived, nobody thought I was the son of Wilfried and Fayza. So I played as I saw fit and my mistakes had no impact.” Ethan, on the other hand, never benefited from that invisibility. “He was immediately judged, even before playing. He always had judgment hanging over his head before he could even do something to be judged,” emphasizes the France captain.

Far from downplaying his brother’s path, Kylian Mbappé sees it instead as a form of superior merit. “That’s why there is much more credit to what he does compared to what I could do at the same age or even now,” he elaborates, saying he is “very pleased” with what Ethan is accomplishing at the Lille club.

On the future, the Madrid player is confident but measured: “Objectively, he has everything to have a great career. Now, like any player, he needs to stay focused, have a sense of priorities, and see how he will navigate the highs and the lows.”

Kylian Mbappé nevertheless says he is careful not to interfere in his younger brother’s choices. “I can try to advise him a bit, but I don’t try too much because I want him to live his career the way I was able to live mine, intensely, and to be able to have the achievements and the mistakes that are his own.” A posture of an attentive older brother, who prefers to support from afar rather than impose a model.