Mbappe flattered by comparisons to Pele

French teenage sensation Kylian Mbappe carried France into the quarter-finals with a sublime performance over Lionel Messi’s Argentina at the World Cup’s first knockout game.

Mbappe pace and skill ravaged the Argentine defence throughout the match and his brace drew comparisons to Brazil legend Pele, the previous player to have scored multiple goals in a knockout phase of a World Cup when he was at the tender age of 17 in the 1958 World Cup in Sweden.

Mbappe, 19, said he was flattered with the praise but felt Pele was still on another level.

French coach Didier Deschamps said he was proud his team’s preparations paid off when it mattered as the 1998 winners seemed to find their stride and finally live up to their pre-tournament expectations of being one of a few favourites to win the tournament in Russia.

Argentina’s Jorge Sampaoli, under fire for poor results including a 3-0 thrashing at the hands of Croatia, faced a barrage of criticism and questions surrounding his future in his job.

The coach said it was still early to speak about the long-term consequences of Argentina’s exit.