There comes a time when a superstar player has to step up and contribute for the team.
Paris Saint-Germain forward Kylian Mbappé may already be considered one of the world's best players, having won one World Cup and five Ligue 1 trophies.
However, the Frenchman is yet to help his hometown club win the Champions League, a trophy that has always eluded them.
On Tuesday, the 25-year-old scored twice for PSG. Defeat five-time champions Barcelona 6-4 on aggregate They will advance to the semi-finals of Europe's top competition and will face Borussia Dortmund.
The first was a penalty, with the ball passing to him on the edge of the area in the 89th minute after Joao Cancelo calmly scored after bringing down Ousmane Dembele. Mbappe's first shot was denied by Marc-Andre ter Stegen, but he slotted the rebound into the net, capping off a great night for PSG.
Former Manchester United defender Rio Ferdinand told TNT Sport: “I think some people seem to be congratulating themselves from above that it's their turn, and Mbappe feels that way too.” Told.
“His second goal wasn't anyone else's but he scored it because he's that guy.”
Mbappe was quiet in the first leg in Paris and didn't shine until he scored in the 61st minute at Barcelona, but PSG manager Luis Enrique praised the striker for his control of the game. did.
“He was a leader from the beginning to the end. When a team feels that a player as important as him is ready to bring everyone, you will make the most of it,” Spain said. people spoke.
PSG fans have been waiting for Mbappe to deliver them the much-awaited Champions League trophy.
If he fails to do so, his career in Paris will be seen as a failure, and some even believe he is set for a move to Real Madrid this summer.
Expectations are high for Mbappé.
Only Cristiano Ronaldo (23 goals in 39 games) has scored more away goals in the Champions League knockout rounds than Mbappé (15 goals in 12 games).
“The moment will come when you will surpass both feet. [in the semi-final] Mbappe has to come to the forefront there,” said Ferdinand.
“He falls into the category of quality players.”
Mbappé himself said after the match, “My dream is to win the Champions League with Paris,'' and “I'm going to try my best to go to Wembley.''
So, will Mbappe and PSG's time finally come?
Last chance for PSG led by Mbappé
PSG are on track to win their third consecutive Ligue 1 title and are currently in the top four in Europe, but it hasn't all been plain sailing for Mbappé.
This will be his final season with his hometown club, with a move to Spanish giants Real expected to take place this summer.
In February, Mbappe met with PSG president Nasser Al-Khelaifi and informed him that he was leaving to join Real. There he will sign a five-year contract.He will earn €15m (£12.8m) a season, plus a signing bonus of €150m (£128m) over five years.
Since then, Mbappe has been in and out of the team, coming on or coming off the bench in five of PSG's last six league games.
Despite this, he has scored 41 goals in 42 games in all competitions, including eight in the Champions League.
PSG's owner, Qatar Sports Investment, has hidden its main goal of winning Europe's elite competition, even though the Parisian club has won nine Ligue 1 titles since its acquisition in 2011. Not yet.
The closest they came to Champions League glory was in 2020, when they reached the final but lost to Bayern Munich.
Since then, a series of disappointing last-16 exits have raised questions about whether this PSG team can really challenge Europe's elite.
But Mbappe is now just two wins away from a fairytale end to his PSG career.