Kylian Mbappé is tearing apart the 2022 World Cup. The French star has been phenomenal during the tournament, leading the Golden Boot race with five goals and making a solid case to grab the Golden Ball, too.
Another proof of his extraordinary performance is that he's won three man of the match awards in the four games he's played, the last against Poland in the Round of 16. As usual in this tournament, FIFA recognized the job with a trophy provided by Budweiser, one of their sponsors, and a photo immortalizing the moment.
Kylian Mbappé pulls clear in the race for the Golden Boot with *two* Goal of the Tournament contenders.
What a performance! He’s today’s @Budweiser Player of the Match.#FRAPOL #POTM #YoursToTake #BringHomeTheBud @BudFootball @Budweiser pic.twitter.com/Oa1h8TzOS0
— FIFA World Cup (@FIFAWorldCup) December 4, 2022
A simple photo that eagle-eyed fans turned into controversy.
Why is Kylian Mbappé hiding the Budweiser logo?
In the photo, Mbappé shows the award but not the Budweiser logo. Coincidence? Well, a coincidence that also occurred when he won the Budweiser Player of the Match trophy against Australia and Denmark.
Any other player has shown the Budweiser logo, and that includes Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. Yeah, the same old CR7 who, at the last Euro, removed two bottles of Coca-Cola before a press conference and invited people to drink water.
So why is he doing it?
According to French newspaper L'Equipe, Mbappé doesn't want his image next alcoholic drinks, sports betting companies or fast food. In fact, the player already sparked some controversy last September when he refused to participate in a French commitment with KFC.