There must be something in the water in the Mbappe house.
While World Cup winner Kylian is already one of the greatest players of his generation and with a chance to become one of the greatest of all time, younger brother Ethan is also making a name for himself in youth football.
The 14-year-old has signed a new youth contract with PSG which will run until 2024, and if everything goes according to plan, he can be on the fringes of the first team and be ready to become a professional when it is ready for renewal.
Because she is publicly known so young, Ethan has automatically joined a group of youth players, along with Borussia Dortmund’s Youssoufa Moukoko, who fans will keep an eye on before breaking into senior football in the coming years.
Here is a review of what you need to know about Mbappe jnr.
Jires Kembo Ekoko played in France, UAE, Qatar & Turkey / Francois Nel / Getty Images
In addition to Kylian, Ethan has another older brother football player in the form of Jires Kembo Ekoko, a former Zaire-born France under 21 international who was adopted by the family as a child.
Kembo Ekoko spent time at the famous French football academy in Clairefontaine before making his senior breakthrough at Rennes. The striker played over 100 Ligue 1 gigs and continued to play for clubs in the UAE and Qatar, before ending his career with a spell at Bursaspor 2019.
Enough to make you feel extremely old? Read it again, Ethan was born in 2006, at the end of the year, no less, and will not turn 15 until December 2021.
He was born after the 2006 World Cup and after Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi already began to establish themselves as the best in the world.
FBL-FRA-LIGUE1-PSG-MONACO / FRANCK FIFE / GettyImages
After attending his brother’s official PSG unveiling in 2017, Ethan joined the club’s famous youth ranks the following year at the age of 12. But his place at France’s biggest club is much more than just a symbolic gesture to keep the family happy.
The French capital is a famous fireplace for young talents who regularly produce world-class stars, while PSG’s academy is a famous production line that has seen players Kingsley Coman, Presnel Kimpembe, Adrien Rabiot, Christopher Nkunku and Xavi Simons emerge in recent years.
While Kylian’s presence at the club may well have influenced PSG to take a closer look at Ethan, the teenager undoubtedly holds his place on merit after landing his new deal.
FBL-FRA-BALLONDOR-GALA / ANNE-CHRISTINE POUJOULAT / GettyImages
If there was ever any doubt about Ethan when he was brand new to PSG, he silenced all critics by making the 2018 edition of the prestigious Mediterranean International Cup in a 9-0 victory over Japan’s Ys on his debut for the Under-12 team Gem Academy.
Comparisons with his own brother are inevitable, but Ethan walked the sacred ground of youth football when he was at the Mediterranean International Cup 2018.
It is a well-known junior competition that has seen players like Marcelo, Cesc Fàbregas and even Lionel Messi make their first real splash at the youth level.
Kylian Mbappe has a famous goal celebration inspired her younger brother / FRANCK FIFE / Getty Images
The first years of Kylian’s career have featured an instantly recognizable arm-wrap goal party, believed to have been originally inspired by Ethan from their time playing together on PlayStation at home.
