The French national player has skill, agility, lightning cognitive abilities, and speed. He has certainly earned his spot in the soccer player hall of fame and is likely to continue his superstar status for many years to come.
Despite his well-rounded abilities on the pitch, the thing that stands out most about Mbappe is his speed. Although it definitely looks quick on TV, how fast is Mbappe in real-world terms?
In this article, we will look at how fast Kylian Mbappe is, how it relates to other players, and whether he is faster than Usain Bolt.
How Fast Is Kylian Mbappe?
There is one particular instance in Mbappe’s career where his speed was more apparent than ever.
While Mbappe was playing for PSG in a game against Monaco, he embarked on a 50-meter sprint. During this sprint, he was able to pick up a pass and score a crucial goal for his team.
Everyone could tell that his sprint was fast but just how fast wasn’t released until later.
What Is Mbappe’s Top Speed?
During that famed sprint, Mbappe reached a top speed of 23.6 mph or 38 km/h.
That speed puts Mbappe firmly ahead of some of the fastest soccer players in the history of the game.
Some of the top soccer players in the world including Lionel Messi, Marcus Rashford, and Gareth Bale have never managed to match Mbappe’s top speed.
To put those numbers into some context, at the time that Mbappe set this top speed record, Leroy Sane was widely regarded as the fastest player in the world.
Mbappe managed to beat Sane’s top speed record by a whopping 1.55 mph or 2.5 km/h.
In fact, the speed of 23.6 mph exceeds the average speed of Usain Bolt during his record-shattering 100m run in 2009.
How Fast Is Mbappe With The Ball?
It is one thing to be able to run blisteringly fast without a soccer ball, but the true measure of a fast soccer player is how fast they can run while controlling the ball.
Unsurprisingly, Mbappe is incredibly talented with this as well.
In fact, he doesn’t seem to lose much speed at all when he is on the ball. The top speed recorded by Mbappe when he has the ball is a stunning 22.41 mph or 36.08 km/h.
This means that when he is controlling the ball, he only loses 1.19 mph or 1.92 km/h from his free sprint.
With stats like this, it is clear to see why Mbappe is considered to be one of the best dribblers in the world.
Not only is he an incredibly fast player, but he also has exceedingly strong ball-control skills that allow him to maintain that speed while on the ball.
Is Mbappe The Fastest Player In The World?
Now that we have looked at the extraordinary numbers that relate to Mbappe’s speed, we have to ask the question, is Mbappe the fastest player in the world?
The short answer to this question is, yes. He still holds the record for the fastest top speed recorded in professional football.
However, that record doesn’t mean a lot unless you have something to compare it to.
Officially, Mbappe holds the record of being the fastest soccer player in the world right now thanks to being the most recent player to hit this incredible speed.
He does have to share that record with Adama Traore, a Catalan soccer player. Both of these soccer players are incredibly fast, but they are not alone at the top of the speed record table.
Below the two front runners are the likes of Kyle Walker, Aaron Wan Bissaka, Ainsley Maitland-Niles, and Fred.
All of these soccer players hold personal speed records of 23.49 mph, 23.35 mph, 23.26 mph, and 23.16 mph respectively.
This means that although Mbappe is currently at the top of the table, there are lots of players that are close behind.
Is Mbappe Faster Than Usain Bolt?
We mentioned above that the pace that Mbappe managed in his famed sprint was higher than the average speed of Usain Bolt in his stunning 2009 100m sprint, a fact that shocked a lot of fans at the time.
So, does that mean that Mbappe is faster than the world’s fastest man, Usain Bolt?
The short answer to this question is, no, Mbappe is not actually faster than Bolt. One of the main distinctions between the two incredible runs is the difference in distance.
Mbappe ran for 50m while Bolt ran for 100m.
Also, the type of speed recorded was different. Mbappe’s top speed during his sprint was 23.6 mph. Bolt’s average speed was measured at 23.35 mph and his top speed will be higher than this.
In fact, Usain Bolt’s top speed during his famed 100m was a dazzling 27.78 mph. This is 4.18 mph faster than Mbappe’s top speed.
While Mbappe may be a long way off catching Olympic legend Usain Bolt, his top speed sprint is still seriously impressive, especially considering the height difference between the two athletes.
Why Is Mbappe So Fast?
There is no denying that Mbappe is one of the fastest players in the world, but the question still remains, why is Mbappe so fast? Is it a natural talent that he possesses?
Has he trained specifically to enhance his speed? In short, it’s both.
Mbappe is a shorter man, standing at 5’10”, a similar height to Eden Hazard. However, he is naturally faster than Hazard due to his leaner frame and having less weight to carry with him.
However, the way that Mbappe runs up the pitch suggests that he has trained specifically to be fast. The movement of his body as he runs is similar to that of a professional sprinter.
Final Thoughts
Mbappe is without a doubt one of the fastest players that soccer has ever seen. His speed is down to a combination of natural predisposition and training.
Soccer is the most popular sport played and watched in the world, yet it is one rarely talked about in the United States. Why is this?
Hi, my name is Adrian Turner and I am a self-proclaimed soccer head.
Since I was young, I have always been fascinated by soccer, and any of the games I could find on the TV channels. There weren’t many games broadcast, so thankfully I could find more on the internet as I grew up.
I turned all of my friends onto soccer and we’d play into the evenings after school.
