Mbappé reveals he has never rewatched 2022 World Cup final: 'It might awaken demons'

Kylian Mbappé has revealed he has never rewatched the 2022 World Cup final, admitting the memory of France’s penalty shootout defeat to Argentina remains too raw to revisit. Speaking to Sorare one week before the 2026 tournament, the Real Madrid forward said he fears what confronting the footage might do to him psychologically.

“The greatest final of all time? I think nothing matches it in terms of entertainment, the clash, the match scenario, with so many twists and turns,” Mbappé said. “It ended with penalties, the most brutal way for anyone. Have I watched the match again since? Never! I think if I do, it might awaken some demons.”

The admission carries particular weight given the scale of what Mbappé produced that night in Lusail. Trailing 2-0 with ten minutes remaining, he pulled France level with a penalty and a volley within 95 seconds, then converted a second spot-kick in extra time to force a shootout. His volley was clocked at 123.34 km/h — the hardest-struck shot of the entire tournament. Argentina ultimately won 4-2 on penalties.

The hat-trick earned Mbappé the Golden Boot and made him the highest scorer in World Cup final history with five career goals across two finals, surpassing Geoff Hurst’s long-standing record from 1966. He also became the youngest player to appear in two separate finals and the only one to finish on the losing side despite scoring three times.

“It was either Lionel Messi’s first World Cup win or a back-to-back for France, so it was historic no matter what,” he added.

Now 26 and captaining Les Bleus into the 2026 World Cup with 56 goals in 97 international appearances, Mbappé will open France’s Group I campaign against Senegal at MetLife Stadium on June 16, before facing Iraq and Norway. The Senegal fixture carries its own historical weight — it was the West African side that eliminated a defending French team 1-0 at the 2002 World Cup, one of the tournament’s most famous upsets.