Following the World Cup third-place match between England and France, Kylian Mbappé and England coach Thomas Tuchel shared a postgame hug – a heartwarming gesture after the Three Lions took home bronze after a 6-4 win. It was a reunion of sorts for the duo, as Tuchel managed Mbappé for two seasons at Paris Saint-Germain from 2018-20. Together, the pair also accounted for two Ligue 1 trophies.
While Tuchel was PSG's manager, he accumulated 95 wins, 11 draws and 25 losses across 127 matches. In Mbappé’s seven seasons with PSG, he recorded 256 goals and 110 assists in 308 appearances. Saturday's match saw England take a strong 4-0 lead at the half while France accounted for four goals in the second half – with two from Mbappé – to stay in the game.
But a late penalty by Bukayo Saka and a stoppage time goal from Jude Bellingham sealed England's win. One of Mbappé and Tuchel’s most memorable wins came from a comeback win over Atalanta in the 2020 Champions League quarterfinals. PSG trailed Atalanta 1-0 until a 90th minute goal tied things up.
As Mbappé came off the bench, his game-winning assist to Eric Maxim Choupo-Moting sent PSG to the semifinals for the first time in 25 years. Tuchel became Chelsea’s head coach in January 2021 and Mbappé joined Real Madrid on a free transfer in 2024. Since their international debuts, Mbappé and Tuchel have done nothing but strengthen their squads.
Tuchel has 16 wins, two draws and three losses since he arrived in October 2024. In Mbappé’s nine years with Les Bleus, he's accounted for 66 goals and 44 assists in his 106 appearances, including a 2018 World Cup victory. Aside from France's loss, Mbappé’s brace against England made him the World Cup’s all-time leading goalscorer, passing Messi with 22 goals in 22 tournament appearances.
