In an interview with L’Équipe, Kylian Mbappé paid a heartfelt tribute to Lucas Hernandez, 30, the Paris Saint-Germain defender. The French striker emphasized the intensity, courage, and reliability of a player always ready to sacrifice himself for his team.
Mbappé: “Whether he plays or not, Lucas maintains the same intensity.”
“Ah, those two brothers! Two madmen, but two completely different kinds of madmen. If someone needs to be tackled, he’ll be the first to do it. When you go into battle, you don’t need to look back because you know he’s there! Whether he plays or not, Lucas maintains the same intensity.
Would we have won with him against Argentina (in the 2022 World Cup final. He was injured in the first match of the tournament against Australia)?”
It’s hard to say because we lost on penalties (3-3, 2-4 on penalties) and I don’t think he would have taken one (he laughs). But yes, these are the kinds of matches for him, the ones he dreams about at night.”
Mbappé isn’t just talking about a tough defender. He’s describing, above all, a dressing room player, capable of reassuring a team simply by being there. For Paris Saint-Germain, this profile is invaluable: Hernandez brings aggression, experience, and a sense of mental security in big games. Even when he’s not playing, his intensity remains a benchmark.
The reference to the France/Argentina final also shows the image Mbappé has of him: that of a player made for matches where there’s no margin for error. Lucas Hernandez is not only reliable technically or tactically, he embodies this idea of total sacrifice, sometimes invisible in statistics, but essential in a group that wants to last at the highest level.
