Kylian Mbappe He admits that he knows almost nothing about sailing. At a breakfast on the top floor of a Parisian hotel Boutique, a few steps from Roland Garros, where the week one from the France Open is in full progress, the Real Madrid Forward is talking about how he sees the sport as part of his legacy, how he can inspire young people in his foundation.
The 26 -year -old Captain of France, winner of the World Cup with only 19 and one of the world’s most fetched football players, also helps to clarify the predominant issue of the day: Why did he invested in the French sailboat team?
“Well, the first thing is that, like French,” he says Atlético, “I always wanted to support my compatriots. I always wanted to support the French sport, so this was already a first factor.
“The second is because SailGP does a lot of socially things for children. And being able to involve my foundation (inspired by Kylian Mbappe, Ibkm) with Sailgp is really something that fills me with joy because we share many values and have many planned projects for the future.”
SAILGP is a International High Speed Championship and near the coast Composed of 12 national teams running in identical carbon fiber catamarans, face to face for a 12 -month season from November to November.
“I’m just starting, I’m a beginner,” he says about his sailboat knowledge. “I’m really trying to understand the basics for now really understand what it is. But learning new things, it’s something I have always been in love with, so I’m a good student.”
Each Catamaran F50 has six crew, each having specific roles
MBAPPE, who bought a participation in The France team in March, It is one of the many global stars that are associated with a championship now in its fifth season.
Four times Formula 1 world champion Sebastian Vettel was a founder in the German team. Last month, actor Anne Hathaway was named among the Ownership group led by women from the Italian team, while on Thursday, it was announced that Hugh Jackman and Ryan Reynolds were The new co-owners of the Australian team. The US team also has a multitude of stars behind them, with former Milwaukee Bucks owner, Marc Lasry, leading a group of investors who bought the team for $ 35 million (27.2 million pounds).
One factor not to be neglected is the fired value of national team franchises. This is an incipient global circuit is still only six years, so when Sir Ben Ainslie I bought the franchise for the British team in 2022, it is believed that it paid less than $ 5 million.
Just three years later, SailGP founder and CEO Russell Coutts says he would not sell a franchise for less than $ 50 million. “By the end of this season, we will see $ 100 million reviews for teams,” he told The Atletico Earlier this year.
SAILGP is working hot now, and although no previous interest in navigating, it is not difficult to see how Mbappe was convinced of investing in the French team led by former Quentin Delapierre Olympic Olympic Marinhose.
But Mbappe wants the association with Delapierre’s team to work much deeper than pure financial game, because he says he sees Sailgp as an ideal vehicle to inspire some of the 98 teenagers and young adults on his program.
Gathered at breakfast on Mbappe’s return to his hometown, there are eight IBKM members, aged 16 to 20 years. They are there to meet Delapierre for the first time when he begins to prepare them for a trip to New York, where they will try a first -hand Sailgp Grand Prix, right in the center of Big Apple.
Mbappe seemed envious of not joining them this weekend for the Grand Prix, which will be held at New York Bay on Saturday and Sunday.
“I want them to have the freedom to create their own experience, their own memories, because they will live it,” he says.
“They will also learn the meaning of sacrifice, the meaning of hard work, because I will see how much work is necessary to get a result, seeing the preparation for a great competition. Of course I don’t know what they plan to do with their lives in the future, but they will see mental preparation (of sailors), seeing the amount of self -control and emotions management (is involved).”
Mbappe with Delapierre in Paris and young people from the founding of the Real Madrid Forward (Martin Keruzoré)
MBAPPE created IBKM in 2020 to help young children create a strong direction in life. Working in close collaboration with your mother, Fayza, who is also sitting Atletico Interview, the striker, only the second man to score a hat-trick in the World Cup final, wants his legacy to be more than what he has achieved on the soccer field.
“I wanted to get in touch with young people around the world, just as someone once achieved me, and give them strength to believe in their dreams and write their own stories,” he says about the foundation. “We want to inspire and support these young people through sport, education and culture.”
Although Mbappe can’t join his eight apprentices for New York part of the championship, he plans to participate in a big prize at some point this season or then.
“Depending on my agenda, I will certainly try to see if it will be possible to be there, because something else is really seeing it, instead of watching it on TV. Like any other sport, you want to feel the energy, passion and all the feeling of sacrifice needed when trying to get a result,” he says.
When it is suggested that he could explore a second sports career in sailing after retiring from 40 -year -old football, he makes a twice theatrical one. “Forty? Do you think forty?” Mbappe laughs. “But I am a very curious person and I am trying to develop more and more to get as much knowledge as possible. So it will be a great learning experience for me, because navigation is not an area that I know very well.
“I never wanted to close any doors for my post-carrier. I never wanted to say nothing, so we’ll see, but I have a lot of work to do before I consider what comes after my career (footballer).”
The France Sailgp team, directed by Delapierre, on the 2nd of the São Francisco Grand Prix race in March (Felix Diemer for Sailgp)
While at first glance there is not much obvious crossover between football and sailboat, Mbappe sees many points in common. “The challenges in football and sailboat are different, but I think in the end, success is success, regardless of discipline. It’s the same because it causes the same emotions, requires the same workload, the same obsession with details. The same idea of dedicating everything to the attempt to win.”
Winning is something the French team has not yet been able to reach this season. But even direct speech coutts spoke of France Team as winners on hold.
But Mbappe gave Delapierre a boost. The pilot of France having to pinch himself who is now exchanging thoughts and ideas with this French soccer icon. “Honestly, Kylian inspired me a lot, not only as an athlete, but also as a human being,” he says Atlético.
“Even when he was very young and playing in Monaco, he talked very clearly about where he wanted to go and what he wanted. It’s great to have this talk about high -level sports, but also what he wants to share with his young people.
“I hope you will at some point be able to share my passion with Kylian on F50 and see if he likes to navigate. It will be super good to have him aboard with us.”
(Top photo: Franck FIFE/AFP via Getty Images)
