Kylian Mbappé stood face-to-face with his latest Madame Tussauds wax likeness on Thursday, taking a moment to process just how real the sculpted figure appeared. “Oh wow, the new [France] jersey,” he said, his eyes flicking from the finely rendered shirt to the matching boots. “That is me. I love it. Amazing. Handsome. Oh my God, you got everything guys… Yes, that’s me… It’s a perfect job.”
He’s only 26, yet Mbappé has already seen his fair share of tributes in the football world. He won the World Cup with France at 19, helped his nation reach another final four years later, and shook up global transfers when he joined Real Madrid from Paris Saint-Germain as a free agent in 2024.
Still, the striker admitted this moment felt special. “It’s a big achievement for me,” he said. “A big honor to be part of the big Madame Tussauds family. I’m really happy and even more when you see the results. It is amazing. I’m really proud to be here. It is a big day for me.”
Mbappé immortalized in wax
Seeing his new wax statue, Mbappé mentioned how much he enjoys exploring London whenever he visits. “I love to visit the city, to go to the restaurants, to see a little bit of the culture of the country. London is one of the best cities in the world,” he said. It’s part of the magnetism of a place that draws in millions each year, so it seems only fitting that one of football’s biggest stars should have a permanent homage in such an iconic location.
This unveiling arrives at a high point in Mbappé’s career. In his first season with Real Madrid, he’s tallied 20 league goals and 31 in all competitions. True to form, he remains laser-focused on future endeavors, with France looking ahead to the 2026 World Cup in the U.S., Canada, and Mexico. He’s expected to be central to those ambitions, carrying the hopes of an entire nation on his shoulders just as he did in 2018.
When asked about the intricacies of his statue, he smiled at the details that captured his signature speed and flair. Rendering the subtleties of one of football’s most recognizable faces is no small feat, but the museum’s artists worked for months to get every measurement and contour right.
Mbappé’s statue will officially go on public display next week. As he said while admiring his double, “It’s a perfect job.”
