PSG’s Kylian Mbappé has key objectives this season
Being Paris Saint-Germain’s all-time top scorer and leading France in the World Cup are just two of the striker’s big goals starting in August.
The renewal of Kylian Mbappé contract was, without a doubt, the best news of the year for PSG. The Parisian club, immersed in an institutional crisis after elimination in the round of 16 of the Champions League against Real Madrid, managed to convince the talented youngster to extend his involvement with the club for three seasons.
On Monday, the striker returned to training at Camp des Loges as he begins a path on which he has, as L’Équipe explains, his sights set several important objectives.
Mbappé's big 2022/23
The first of the targets is something he’s been working on for a few years, that is to overtake Edinson Cavani as PSG’s top scorer in history. On February 26, the former Monaco player equaled Ibrahimovic in second place and has been moving increasingly closer to the Uruguayan, who has 200 goals while Mbappé has 171. Assuming he continues with his goal rate, the French international will surpass Cavani this season and will enter into the history books of the club.
Mbappé, moreover, can also make a wider legacy in Ligue 1. The player currently has 135 goals in 183 matches in the French championship, still far from Delio Onnis’ record of 299 goals, but he is getting closer to the top 10. Gunnar Anderson, tenth all-time top scorer in Ligue 1, has 179 goals to his tally and, although Mbappé is not going to surpass him except for a historic season in terms of goals, the PSG star can get considerably closer to the top 10 this year.
Another of Mbappé's great targets in Paris could be to overcome the 50-goal barrier. Throughout history, only Messi (six times), Cristiano Ronaldo (six), Lewandowski (two), Luis Suárez (one) and Ibrahimovic (one) have been able to do so. PSG’s number 7 finished last season with 39 goals, just three short of his personal best. This season, his goal will be to try to reach 50 goals in all competitions.
World Cup and Champions League glory
Finally, Mbappé's dream is in Qatar. And not for PSG, although that confusion could be easy for some, but for the French national team. In November, the striker will be one of the main stars of the current world champions to try to defend the title won in Russia four years ago. It will not be easy, since the team is not going through a great moment of form, but Mbappé will do everything possible to seek his second World Cup, in a country in which many eyes will be focused on him for belonging to PSG and for being one of the best players in the world.
A great performance by Mbappé in the World Cup would clearly bring him closer to his dream of winning the Ballon d’Or. To do so, he must also have a great performance in the Champions League, a competition that so far has evaded him and PSG, one of the major setbacks since he landed in Paris back in 2017.
A decisive season is coming at PSG, which has remodeled its project since Kylian Mbappé's contract extension.