France teammates reveal new nicknames for Kylian Mbappe amid speed confusion

Kylian Mbappe has been handed a new nickname by his France teammates after his sensational performance against Argentina, though said new label is the result of false information.

Mbappe, 19, put La Albiceleste to the sword at the Kazan Arena after the PSG starlet scored a brace against Lionel Messi and Co. in the nation’s 4-3 Round of 16 victory in the World Cup.

However, it was not just his goalscoring exploits that drew widespread praise from his teammates. Instead Mbappe was lauded for the mesmerising run that subsequently won Les Bleus a penalty for the opening goal.

At the time, it was reported Mbappe had clocked up a top speed of 37kmh after racing through on the Argentine goal, sprinting past the ageing legs of Javier Mascherano, before being brought down my Marcos Rojo.

As a result, his fellow compatriots labelled the talented teenager ’37’ after TV graphics at the stadium revealed his speed, though the official Fifa statistics have since shown that Mbappe only reached a speed of 32.4km/h.

Despite this, Florian Thauvin has revealed to Marca that the French dressing room will continue to call Mbappe ’37,’ despite the speed being five kilometers faster than the original tempo of his run.

However, Antoine Griezmann – who converted the penalty kick against Argentina – told reporters that he will continue to call Mbappe ‘Kiki,’ a cordial term he created for the teenager despite his dislike for the title.

Kylian Mbappé's #WorldCup game by numbers vs. #ARG:

53 touches
10 take-ons attempted
7 take-ons completed
4 fouls won
2 interceptions
2 shots
2 goals
1 penalty won

Game of his life. pic.twitter.com/f0GZY3kMVi

— Squawka Football (@Squawka) June 30, 2018

He said: “I prefer to call him ‘Kiki.’ I know he does not like it, but he’s stuck with that name.”

France will now face Uruguay on Friday at the Nizhny Novgorod Stadium for a place in the semi-final of the World Cup.

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