LIGUE 1
Kylian Mbappé plan now under threat from Canadian
In Ligue 1, the Paris Saint-Germain forward continues to be less involved under Luis Enrique that he would probably like, and that causes an issue.
Luis Enrique’s management of Kylian Mbappé's minutes, driven by the player’s announcement to Al Khelaïfi in February that he will not continue with Paris Saint Germain next season, could deprive him of winning the Golden Shoe – Europe’s prize for top scorer – in addition to the trophy for the top marksman in Ligue 1. The latter is certainly more remote, but has gone from unthinkable to plausible. The captain of the French national team appears to have accepted the situation, though his desire is to play every minute to continue bolstering his numbers and set new standards before departing.
Mbappé final milestones at risk
In Ligue 1, Mbappé has been the top scorer practically since the first matchday. No one has come close to his numbers, not even threatened them, but in the last five matches, where he hasn’t played the full 90 minutes in any, the talent from Bondy has seen Jonathan David of Lille, the top scorer in 2024 with 14 goals across all competitions, gradually closing in on him and slowly threatening to snatch away the top scorer trophy.
The Canadian is having a dream year, scoring in practically every match. Currently, he is still some distance from Mbappé – who leads by seven goals, 21 to 14, with Alexandre Lacazette two further behind – but if Luis Enrique continues to reduce his minutes in Ligue 1, as he announced weeks ago, “we have to get used to playing without him. I wish him the best for the future,” it is possible that the gap between them will be considerably reduced, with only nine matchdays left in the championship. The 2018 World Cup champion has won the top scorer trophy five times in a row, potentially establishing a historic record in 2024, the year he will leave French football.
Mbappé's elusive Golden Shoe
The continental Golden Shoe trophy is already far, very far, away from Mbappé, who has never yet managed to achieve it despite accumulating extraordinary figures since joining Paris Saint Germain in 2017.
In the race to be crowned Europe’s best scorer, the French forward, with 21 goals, ranks fourth in the standings, nine goals behind Harry Kane, who has scored 30 goals in 2,222 minutes, amassing 60 points compared to the 42 currently held by the former Monaco player.
In addition to the Englishman, Mbappé is also behind Serhou Guirassy of Stuttgart, with whom he is tied on goals, 21, but the Guinean surpasses him for having scored them in fewer minutes (1,415 minutes compared to the 1,757 of the PSG player), and Lautaro Martínez, who has accumulated 23 goals in 2,036 minutes. Unless there is a miraculous late sprint, unlikely because Luis Enrique will ration his minutes in Ligue 1 matches, he will go another year without the Golden Shoe. But surely bigger rewards await him in Madrid.