World Cup comment: Come on Didier - don't you dare rest Kylian Mbappe

For the sake of the enjoyment of the armchair viewer, let’s hope he doesn’t.

Mbappe has been the star of this tournament, one of the world’s most exciting players bang in form.

He’s been around that long it’s surprising when you’re frequently reminded he’s still only 23.

Four years ago in Russia he wasn’t the main man of the France team that won the World Cup, but he was a trend-setting catalyst nonetheless. Mbappe scored four goals including two in a game to become the first teenager since Pelé to do so at a World Cup, and one in the final that put him in another exclusive category with Pelé as the only teenager to score in a World Cup final.

"It's flattering to be the second one after Pelé but let's put things into context – Pelé is in another category,” Mbappe said after his double in a thrilling 4-3 win over Argentina in the second round.

Maybe Pelé was back then, but Mbappe is closing the gap.

His importance to France has grown since Russia. At the delayed Euro 2020 last summer he looked distracted and out of form, and Les Bleus suffered because of it. He didn’t score once and missed the decisive penalty as France were humbled on spot-kicks by Switzerland in the round of 16.

Nearly 18 months later, Mbappe is back at the top of his game and France look the pick of the contenders thanks to his game-changing ability.

He could have had a hatful against Australia but had to settle for one, a stooping header off the inside of the post. He then scored both in the 2-1 win over Denmark that all-but assured the reigning champions of top spot in Group D.

The first was typical Mbappe, running at back-tracking defenders, playing a one-two with an overlapping full-back and slotting home with his right foot.

The second was a pure No 9s goal, reading the incoming cross from Antoine Griezmann – how good are his deliveries by the way? – darting to the back post and just getting any body part on the ball to help it on its way.

With games coming thick and fast in this World Cup, France could play their second-round game either Sunday afternoon or just three days after the Tunisia game on Saturday, if they somehow contrive to not win the group. Resting Mbappe will surely add to that possibility, but you can understand Deschamps’ dilemma. Mbappe is a matchwinner, one of the best in the world, so you want to preserve him for the later rounds.

While he’s in this kind of mood, he’ll also want to strengthen his claims on the golden boot award.

France have produced some wonderful attacking players down the generations – Michel Platini and Zinedine Zidane to name just two.

Mbappe, having already influenced one World Cup win before he turned 20, is already on his way to bettering some of those iconic names.

So come on Didier, give us what we want – give us Mbappe.