Former Arsenal and France youth international Jérémie Aliadière has predicted that Kylian Mbappé will retire as the greatest footballer of all time, insisting the forward already merits comparison with French legends Zinedine Zidane and Michel Platini.
The assessment came during an exclusive interview with Get French Football News conducted shortly after France’s World Cup semi-final elimination. Despite the disappointment, Aliadière dismissed suggestions that the defeat damages Mbappé’s standing among the nation’s elite, noting that the 25-year-old claimed the Golden Boot and became the tournament’s record goalscorer in Qatar.
Aliadière believes supporters judge players too harshly based on immediate results. “The football world and football people react a lot in the moment, to the emotions of the event,” he explained. “At the end of his career, I think he’ll be the best of all time.”
Records and reputation
The former striker highlighted Mbappé’s existing achievements as evidence of his superiority. The Paris Saint-Germain captain secured a World Cup winner’s medal in 2018 aged just 18 and has already become France’s record goalscorer while still only 27. Aliadière suggested that by the time the attacker reaches his mid-thirties, he will have shattered every meaningful record for Les Bleus.
Aliadière placed Mbappé in a lineage of French icons including Zidane, Platini, Raymond Kopa and Antoine Griezmann. However, he argued that public perception of Zidane relies heavily on selective memory. “Zidane will always be Zidane because we will always remember what he did in the 1998 World Cup,” he acknowledged, before reminding supporters that the midfielder received a red card against Saudi Arabia during that campaign and missed two matches. He also referenced the 2006 final incident involving Marco Materazzi, which “maybe cost us the final.”
Peak years approaching
The analysis suggested Mbappé’s most productive period may still lie ahead. Aliadière projected that the captain will be 31 when the next World Cup arrives in 2026, an age he described as the optimum window for strikers. With the European Championship scheduled for 2024, the forward has immediate opportunities to add major honours.
“Who says that he won’t win the World Cup in four years’ time?” Aliadière asked. “He will be 31 years old and 30-32 is the best time for a striker.”
Aliadière, who progressed through Arsenal’s academy before representing France at youth level, maintains that Mbappé’s goal-scoring feats and longevity will ultimately place him above all previous French talents.