By the age of 21, Kylian Mbappe has already won one World Cup, four Ligue 1 titles, finished as a runner-up in a Champions League final and was shortlisted for the Ballon d'Or three times.
What were you doing at 21?
Mbappe's sky-rocketing success with PSG and France at such a young age has inspired a whole faction of football fans to try to aspire to the same sort of success. But not for themselves - for their children, with the ultimate goal of raising their child to become the very next Mbappe. Enter: Project Mbappe.
But what exactly is Project Mbappe? Goal takes a look, as well as the very best of the social media memes surrounding it.
What is Project Mbappe?
The concept of Project Mbappe grew as a viral social media phenomenon, which details the fantasy objective of turning your child into the next Kylian Mbappe by way of ruthless and intense football coaching from an early age.
Project Mbappe is relatively tongue-in-cheek, but there's no denying that raising your son or daughter to become the next GOAT in football is an appealing thought.
The crux of Project Mbappe is the idea of living vicariously through your child and getting them to emerge as a football prodigy as soon as possible.
This, then, invites a whole barrage of humour - with football fans joking about turning into soccer moms and envisioning a high-intensity training regime as soon as their child has the ability to walk.
The jokes write themselves: having your unborn child listen to the Champions League anthem and making sure they grasp the concept of good footwork while still in the crib.
Of course, becoming the next Mbappe is no easy feat. Hard work and talent are only one side of Mbappe's skill set - luck, being extraordinarily gifted and genuine good fortune are another, and you can't "Project" that. Mbappes are born, not made.
But we are happy to be proven wrong - and lie in anticipation for the next generation of young Mbappes to come through.
Below are some of the greatest reactions to Project Mbappe on Twitter.
Twitter reacts to Project Mbappe
Project Mbappe starts pre-birth pic.twitter.com/9zHHiakLlA
— Fanele Msweli (@faneleismyname) August 24, 2020
Project Mbappe coming along nicely https://t.co/1CZXBVJbib
— RW (@r1chard___) August 31, 2020
is 17 days old too young for project Mbappe to begin?
— Jenn Gueits (@jaygweets) August 31, 2020
Project Mbappe if it's a baby boy. Project Miedema if it's a baby girl. https://t.co/74jASQnInE
— AB (@abhiz30) August 29, 2020
what i mean when i say project Mbappé: pic.twitter.com/mPZ0O4YXfk
— Hussein 🇪🇬 (@IveGotTheMane) August 28, 2020
If your son doesn't kick in the womb, forget 'Project Mbappe'.
— 𝙂𝙪𝙣𝙨𝙝𝙤𝙩 𝙈𝙞𝙠𝙚 (@HessenLV) August 18, 2020
Me waking my son at 3 AM for Project Mbappe. pic.twitter.com/LzWuWQLLv4
— H A R S H (@_harrssh) August 18, 2020
Project Mbappe is really not a joke. If my son kicks in the womb I'm asking my wife " How was his technique? Knuckleball? Is he two footed?". There's no time for slacking.
— 👹 (@mufcxsid) August 18, 2020
How’s Project Mbappe going?
— the winter (@freddywinter) August 18, 2020
My Son: pic.twitter.com/sneX89DjqB
When my son refuse to train for project Mbappe pic.twitter.com/EAixfxpfIm
— Shahab🐺 (@ShahabFcb_) August 31, 2020
Project Mbappe was real. His parents calculated every step. https://t.co/n19mjOdNpc
— Mikel FC (@warsamefooty) August 26, 2020
I’m only gonna give my kid 3 days of relaxation once they come out of the womb. Then it’s time for Project MBappe 😤
— doug dimmadome owner of the dimmsdale dimmadome™ (@Si2mEN) September 1, 2020
Me showing off my kids at Football trials#projectmbappe https://t.co/mWIRz3BDFR
— AKIN (@_akinola_a) September 1, 2020
#ProjectMbappe class 101. Let me jot fins down. https://t.co/meaSD4Oox6 pic.twitter.com/s2MDhgcmyi
— Abd. Basit Olamide. I sell watches⌚⌚⌚ (@UnclebeeOla) August 25, 2020
