PARIS (AFP) — Kylian Mbappe said he will never get over the disappointment of losing the World Cup final after the France star scored the winner on his return to action for Paris Saint-Germain on Wednesday, Dec. 28.
"I think I'm never going to get over it," Mbappe said, speaking 10 days after he scored a hat-trick in the final against Argentina which the South Americans won in a penalty shootout.
Mbappe said he had been through some "difficult times" since the defeat but he showed few signs of the setback in Qatar as he won and converted a 96th minute penalty to give PSG a last-gasp 2-1 win against Strasbourg on Ligue 1's resumption following the World Cup break.
"As I said to my teammates, there is no reason why the club should pay the price for the failure of the national team, they are two very different situations," 24-year-old Mbappe said.
"It does me good to come back with a win and to have a link with the club, the supporters and my teammates."
Neymar, who was left in tears after Brazil was knocked out by Croatia in the quarterfinals of the World Cup, was sent off for two yellow cards in PSG's victory.