Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography
By Julien Laurens
Seven Dials
ISBN: 9781399629577
352pp.

Have you ever noticed how every great sports movie follows a familiar pattern? It features an underdog with extraordinary talent, obstacles that threaten to derail the dream and heartbreak that ultimately leads to triumph. That formula endures because it mirrors real life, and Julien Laurens’ Kylian Mbappé: The Definitive Biography proves exactly that.

On the surface, Kylian Mbappé appears to have achieved everything a footballer could hope for before turning 30. He won the Fifa World Cup on his debut in 2018, reached the

final four years later, and continues to pursue football’s biggest honours with club and country. Yet, behind the trophies lies a story of resilience, discipline and unwavering ambition every bit as compelling as a Hollywood screenplay.

Laurens’ ‘definitive biography’ traces every stage of Mbappé’s rise. Long before the football world hailed him as the next global superstar, Laurens was already following the gifted 10-year-old from Bondy. Drawing on interviews with childhood friends, coaches and teammates, as well as comments from his parents, Fayza Lamari and Wilfrid Mbappé, the author pieces together the remarkable story of a boy from the Paris suburbs who would eventually earn praise from Brazilian legend Pelé after becoming only the second teenager to score in a World Cup final.

A new biography chronicles the French football captain’s extraordinary rise from a Zinedine Zidane-loving boy in Paris’ suburbs to one of the defining stars of the modern game

Sports biographies often disappoint, either because they lack thorough research or because they fail to tell a compelling story. Laurens avoids both pitfalls. His years covering French football give him authority, while his storytelling keeps the pages turning. Even without photographs, he paints such vivid scenes that readers can easily imagine every step of Mbappé’s journey.

Although much of the book focuses on Mbappé’s childhood, it remains surprisingly relatable. Growing up in a close-knit household with Algerian and Cameroonian roots, sharing a modest home with siblings — including an adopted older brother — and welcoming relatives who came and went freely, he describes an upbringing that will feel familiar to many readers. More importantly, it explains why, despite becoming a global superstar before his 20th birthday, Mbappé has remained deeply connected to his family.

Laurens also explores the sporting backgrounds of Mbappé’s parents. His father, a respected football coach, and his mother, a former handball player, nurtured his talent from an early age, while both insisted that education was just as important as football. Their disciplined approach laid the foundation for the professional and grounded individual Mbappé would become.

The chapters detailing Mbappé’s path to the French national team are among the book’s strongest. Laurens captures the uncertainty surrounding his selection for the 2018 World Cup squad and then recounts his gradual integration into a dressing room filled with established stars.

Equally fascinating are two dressing-room speeches that shaped Mbappé’s international career. The first came after France’s unconvincing 2-1 victory over Australia at the 2018 World Cup, when manager Didier Deschamps criticised his players for their lacklustre display. The dressing-down prompted the squad to hold a players-only meeting, a turning point that preceded victories over Argentina in the Round of 16, Uruguay in the quarter-finals, Belgium in the semi-finals and Croatia in the final.

The second speech came four years later, when Mbappé addressed his teammates during the half-time of the 2022 World Cup final against Argentina. Trailing 2-0, France looked defeated, but their captain’s passionate words sparked an extraordinary comeback. France ultimately lost on penalties, yet Mbappé’s hat-trick cemented his place among the game’s greatest performers on football’s biggest stage.

Another fascinating thread is Mbappé’s lifelong admiration for Zinedine Zidane. As a child, he famously asked his barber for the ‘Zidane haircut’, unaware of his idol’s baldness. Laurens recounts every meeting between the two, beginning with a six-year-old Mbappé attending a France training session wearing Zidane’s No 10 shirt, and receiving a smile that made his day. A decade later, Zidane personally approached Mbappé’s father to bring the youngster to Real Madrid — a dream that eventually came true, but not for many seasons.

Beyond his exploits with France, Laurens details Mbappé’s development through youth football and examines the role his parents played in managing his career. They treated him almost as “Project Mbappé”, carefully controlling every major decision, refusing to let him leave France prematurely, and ensuring he matured as a footballer and as a person before making the leap abroad.

The conflicts described throughout the book are equally revealing. From being overlooked at Monaco — when he was not selected by one of the age level teams that deemed him as too young while he was part of Monaco’s football team — to his turbulent relationship with the Paris Saint-Germain club, Mbappé repeatedly faced obstacles that tested his patience and character. His eventual move to Real Madrid in 2024 feels less like a transfer and more like the fulfilment of a dream years in the making.

To Laurens’ credit, he never portrays Mbappé as flawless. He acknowledges criticism of the forward’s defensive work and willingness to press, explaining that coaches tried to improve these aspects of his game. This balanced approach lends the biography greater credibility, presenting Mbappé as a gifted footballer who, like everyone else, has weaknesses to overcome.

Laurens also examines the strained final years of Mbappé’s tenure at Paris Saint-Germain, including his deteriorating relationship with club president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and the controversy surrounding his departure. Rather than sensationalising the events, the author provides context through press conferences, interviews and eyewitness accounts.

That commitment to meticulous research is what ultimately makes this biography stand out. Laurens combines first-hand reporting with years of observing French football to produce a compelling portrait of one of the sport’s defining figures.

It is not merely the story of a football superstar; it is the story of a determined young boy who dared to dream big and, through talent, discipline and resilience, surpassed even his own expectations.

The reviewer is a broadcast journalist who also writes on sports, film, television and popular culture. X: @omair78

Published in Dawn, Books & Authors, July 19th, 2026