Kylian Mbappe showed his true character with a heartfelt reply to Marcus Rashford's World Cup post. The French superstar left a love-heart emoji on the England forward's message, displaying mutual respect despite their on-pitch rivalry.
Rashford's World Cup Journey
Marcus Rashford posted a heartfelt message to his followers after England's semi-final defeat to Argentina. England were left heartbroken as Argentina made an incredible comeback to win 2-1 and advance to the final. France were also eliminated after Spain won 2-0, setting up a Europe vs South America final.
Rashford played a part in the Three Lions' run, scoring his only goal in a 4-2 win over Croatia in the group stage. He started twice and played 177 minutes during England's World Cup campaign.
Mbappe's Gesture
Mbappe left a love-heart emoji on Rashford's post, a gesture that did not go unnoticed. Rashford replied: "Good luck with the rest of the tournament brother! Go smash it king." This exchange highlights the sportsmanship between the two players, who will face each other in the third-place play-off on Saturday.
The match is a rematch of the 2022 quarter-final in Qatar, where France beat England 2-1. France went on to reach the final before losing to Argentina.
Rashford's Club Future
At the time of the 2022 World Cup, Rashford was in top form for Manchester United, making 42 goal contributions in the 2022/23 season. However, his situation changed dramatically before the 2026 World Cup. He went on loan to Aston Villa and Barcelona due to a fallout with manager Ruben Amorim.
During his time in Spain, Rashford faced Mbappe twice more in El Clasico. The pair earned one win each, with Mbappe's Real Madrid winning 2-1 in La Liga in October. Rashford got the last laugh by beating Mbappe in the Supercopa final, winning 3-2 and lifting the trophy. Barcelona also won the league title with an eight-point lead over Real Madrid.
Rashford is now heading back to Manchester United, having waited to resolve his future until after the World Cup. He will first reunite with Mbappe as France and England battle for third place on Saturday night.
