Kylian Mbappé reveals that Cameroonian culture shaped his childhood

Kylian Mbappé, 27, visited Cameroon and, during a conversation on the audiovisual podcast The Bridge, recalled that much of his personal growth took place under the influence of Cameroonian culture and that he spent much of his childhood accompanying his parents between football matches and handball training sessions.

An intimate chat on The Bridge

On the show, host Aurélien Tchouaméni conducted the interview alongside comedian Malik Bentalha and footballer Achraf Hakimi. The three shared a dialogue space where the French striker candidly analyzed his identity link with the African continent, and in particular with his father's country of origin.

Mbappé explained that the cultural duality in his home, born of his mother's Algerian background and his father's Cameroonian background, made him feel an emotional primacy for his paternal heritage during his developmental stage.

«If you talk about me, about how I've grown, I've grown more with Cameroonian culture than with Algerian, because I was more with my Cameroonian family than with the Algerian,» the striker said. He added that this relationship was not theoretical: «Yes, I have been frequently in Cameroon, because that is where I grew up».

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Family influence on his development

The player recalled that his first social lessons always took place among adults, accompanying his mother in handball and his father in football. «When I was little, my mother always took me with her. She played handball, and I spent a lot of time with her handball team», he recounted.

This constant immersion forced him to develop an atypical verbal fluency for his age, losing the fear of speaking publicly. «I think I'm good at talking because of that, because I've always been with adults and they haven't treated me like a child», he said.

Finally, Mbappé emphasized that his parents acted as a shield against external pressures, protecting his dream of becoming a great player. «In my case, my parents protected their son's dream, which was to become a great football player. They have been protective, as all parents are», he concluded.

The star made it clear that his maturity directly responds to the firm guidance received at home, a lesson that continues to accompany him in his professional career.