KAZAN: Perched up in the VIP box of the Kazan Arena, sat two of the greatest forwards the game has seen. Both of them past FIFA World Cup winners; both having been the focal point in their team’s victories at world football’s showpiece tournament: Argentina legend Diego Maradona in 1986 and Brazilian phenomenon Ronaldo in 2002.

Before every match of the World Cup, FIFA plays a montage on the stadium screens that is a collection of the finest moments from the past tournaments. It features both Maradona and Ronaldo, in victory and in defeat. It also features, for a brief moment, Lionel Messi — the man who has for so long been touted as Maradona’s successor, the man who has for so long been craving to emulate the feats of his compatriot at the world stage.

An expectant Maradona looked on, hoping Messi would deliver and take Argentina past France and into the quarter-finals. Instead, in this most epic of matches, one that would go down as one of the classics, it was the player who has drawn comparisons to Ronaldo who stole the show. Just like Ronaldo in his hey-day, French teen sensation Kylian Mbappe tore into Argentina’s defence, his blistering pace, movement and control ripping them into shreds as he lead his side to a remarkable 4-3 victory in a compelling match on Saturday.

“Ronaldo was a forward player who was very, very quick but I think Kylian is even quicker,” said France coach Didier Deschamps in his post-match press conference. “But Ronaldo was a world champion and we’re comparing him to a young player who has lots of ability and qualities. He’s only 19 years old and he will make a lot of progress.”

In his breakthrough season at AS Monaco last year, Mbappe drew comparisons with France and Arsenal great Thierry Henry. It was the mercurial ex-France striker Nicolas Anelka who first compared the youngster to Ronaldo.

“I remember Ronaldo at the 1996 Olympics and Mbappe is at that level,” Anelka said in 2017. “He has the characteristics of a world class player and he must manage his career properly.”

If anything, Mbappe’s performance on Saturday showed he truly is Ronaldo’s heir apparent. For the opening goal against Argentina, he left three Argentina players chasing his shadow before Marcos Rojo eventually brought him down for the penalty which was converted by Antoine Griezmann. Then, with the score at 2-2, he was first to react to a rebound, taking out a crowd of bodies with his first touch before finishing. He then netted France’s fourth goal on a superb breakaway, without breaking stride with a first-time finish.

With his two goals, he became only the second teenager after legendary Brazilian striker Pele to score twice in a World Cup knockout round. Messi hasn’t managed a goal ever in the World Cup knockouts.

“I’m very happy to be the second teenager [to score twice in the knockout rounds] after Pele but let’s put things into context: Pele is in another category, but it’s good to be among those people,” Mbappe said at the press conference afterwards. “As I’ve already and always said, at a World Cup you have all the top-level players so it’s an opportunity to show what you can do and what your abilities are. There’s no better place than a World Cup.”

Such was his performance that even Antoine Griezmann, the France forward expected to shoulder the burden of responsibility for scoring the goals, said Les Blues needed Mbappe in such red-hot form.

“Mbappe has had a great match,” he told reporters in the mixed zone. “We need him at this level and hopefully he will continue this way. Now we have to give him the ball, make the space he needs and put him in good positions.”

Paul Pogba, the creative force for France in midfield was also left gushing. “Kylian has much more talent that I have. Do you see what he’s doing at his age? He has so much speed.”

With just one act, Mbappe — who wasn’t even born when France won their sole World Cup title in 1998 — has gone from being a support act to being the main man. With that one performance, he’s taken Messi out of the World Cup. Hours later, Mbappe’s childhood idol Cristiano Ronaldo and his Portugal side were sent packing from the World Cup.

Uruguay and Luis Suarez await France in the quarter-finals. Another inspired show there and this World Cup will surely have, if it not already has, all the makings of being his tournament. There will then inevitably be more comparisons with Pele. And he may very well join Pele and the two other greats who saw him in breathtaking form on Saturday in that montage that will be played before matches at the next edition of world football’s most prestigious tournament in Qatar.

Published in Dawn, July 2nd, 2018