Getty Image / Catherine Steenkeste
Usain Bolt is in the record books at the fastest man ever. He still holds world records for the 100 and 200-meter sprints with times of 9.58-seconds (100-meter in 2009) and 19.19 (200-meter in 2009).
Kylian Mbappe is widely considered to have the potential to become the best soccer player in the world at some point (probably after Ronaldo and Messi retire). He’s second in the race for Europe’s ‘Golden Shoe’ award for the top goal scorer across the major leagues with 54 goals (#2 overall) behind Lionel Messi’s 66.
EVERYONE knows he’s fast. He blew the world away in the World Cup and anyone who’s watched a Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) game knows that Mbappe’s acceleration is an incredible sight to behold. But I don’t think anyone thought he might be in the same realm as Usain Bolt.
In PSG’s recent game against Monaco, Kylian Mbappe scored a hat trick was clocked at a speed of 23.61mph (38 kmph) which is higher than Usain Bolt’s average speed of 37.58kmph when he set his 100-meter world record in 2009, according to The Sun UK.
I think they’re using some sketchy math here, to be honest, and trying to say that because Mbappe’s top speed was faster than Bolt’s average speed that Kylian is somehow faster than Usain Bolt which isn’t the case but you can check out this clip of Mbappe’s sprint towards a goal and see how insanely fast he is:
https://twitter.com/KaizerT8/status/1120049239428620289
Mbappe scores his 95th career goal – at 20 years old. He's going to be scarily good in years to come 😳pic.twitter.com/khBLJ17aGJ
— The Sun Football ⚽ (@TheSunFootball) April 21, 2019
https://twitter.com/THBarlow89/status/1120078712320532481
via The Sun UK:
As the French forward laid the ball off he began his dash from the half-way line and TV cameras clocked a high speed of 23.61mph (38kph).
That speed beats the 23.35mph (37.58kph) Bolt averaged when he set his 9.58 second 100m world record in 2009.
Bolt reached a high speed of at 27.79 mph (44.72kph) during his 2009 World Athletics Championship win.
Fans were left in awe of Mbappe’s incredible speed hailing the striker’s “breathtaking pace”.
One said: “I have always feared pace. Pace with a football brain is lethal.
“Mbappe has everything to worry even the best defenders in the world. Unreal talent.”
Another said: “Mbappe’s pace is breathtaking…”
Again, it’s worth repeating that they’re comparing Kylian Mbappe’s top speed against Usain Bolt’s average speed. And Bolt started from a complete standstill whereas Mbappe was already in motion. With that said, I can’t think of many pro athletes in the world who would be able to compete with acceleration like this.
At just 20-years-old he’s already scored 95 goals and will be an absolute force for years to come. If you’re a soccer fan, you already know this. If you’re standing on the outside then you’ll want to start paying attention to this man’s career ASAP.