India, May 23 -- The 2026 FIFA World Cup will present a very different version of Kylian Mbappe. He is no longer the fearless teenager who stunned the world in 2018, announcing himself on the biggest stage with that breathtaking performance against Argentina built on raw pace and confidence. He is also no longer the superstar desperate to prove he belonged among football's elite, as he did in 2022 when he produced a stunning hat-trick in the final but still walked away heartbroken.

This time, the responsibility is entirely different. Mbappe heads into the tournament as the face and leader of France national football team. With experienced figures like Antoine Griezmann and Olivier Giroud no longer central to the setup, the spotlight natu...