From Saint Lazare station, in the heart of Paris, Bondy can be reached in about 25 minutes using line E of the RER suburban metro. This municipality on the northeast outskirts of the capital is the typical French banlieue of working classes and very strong immigration. It belongs to the department of Seine-Saint Denis, one of the poorest and most troubled in the country. But Bondy is lucky to be on the football world map: this is where Kylian Mbappé, the last great prodigy of the sport, grew up and learned to kick the ball.
It is a gray morning and the thermometer reads zero degrees. At the bus stop, Keisha, angry at the long wait, rants about the poor service and Macron. “Do you know that the Rothschild family financed your campaign?” she tells the journalist. Keisha – 28 years old and three children – is frustrated with her low-paying job as a telephone operator for an insurance company. When she mentions Mbappé, she changes her tune: “We are proud of him because he gives hope to so many boys from the cités (slums). They see that they can succeed as footballers. My son, for example, wants to be like him. That gives him joy of living."
Mbappé, of a Cameroonian father and a mother of Algerian origin, has not forgotten his roots. The striker for PSG and the French team frequently visits Bondy. He is the local hero. His foundation, Inspired by KM, is dedicated to promoting children from disadvantaged backgrounds. He's not just gifted with the ball. Unlike other stars, he knows how to communicate very well, he speaks excellent English and also Spanish.
The human landscape in the streets of Bondy is characteristic of the banlieues of big cities. The population of Maghrebi and sub-Saharan origin abounds. Many women wear a veil or even more rigorous clothing.
In the hall of the town hall, there are very visible brochures in which they give advice and contact numbers for victims of spousal and gender violence. Another paper reports from an office that advises on abortion, the morning-after pill and sexually transmitted infections. Drug trafficking and Islamic radicalization are endemic problems throughout the department.
Yvonne and Antoinette, 85 and 95 years old, respectively, know about Mbappé but downplay his importance to Bondy. “He is not a God; I think he exaggerates, ”says one of them. The two old women recall their youth with nostalgia, with dances in the street. “There was a good population”, affirms Yvonne, making it clear that so many foreigners have deteriorated the climate. “I get the feeling that there are more Africans than Arabs now, don't you think Antoinette?” she asks her neighbor.
Very close to the center, on the façade of a block of flats where the Mbappé family lived for a time, a giant mural pays tribute to him, while encouraging children to pursue their dreams, not to give up. "He loves your dream and he will love you back," says a text in French. “Just do it,” he adds to himself, in English. The mural does not lack the logo of one of the multinational sponsors of the player.
A little further north, a 10-minute walk away, is the Léo Lagrange sports complex, where Mbappé, as a child, worked out with his father on an artificial grass pitch. It is a place of legend for admirers of the idol.
"Mbappé or Messi?" La Vanguardia asks, as a provocation, to a group of teenagers. The answer is forceful and sonorous: “Mbappéeeeeeeee!”
"It's Bondy's pride!" emphasizes the gang's spokesman. Everyone claims to have seen him in person at some point, for example when he visited the facilities after winning the 2018 World Cup. It was a public party.
Adam and Ali, both 12 years old, want to emulate their idol. They were born in France but into immigrant families. Adam's is Algerian. Ali's, Senegalese. The first is unwrapped and has speech. The second, timid, gives the initiative to his friend.
–What do you think of Mbappé?
–He is a great player, for us, for his club, for France and I would say for the whole world. And he started here, at our age.
–And what do you think of Messi?
–Mbappé and Messi compete in everything, although they play in the same club. They are friends. But I think that Mbappé will win this Sunday.
Ali dares to make a brief intervention and points out: "Mbappé is younger and better, I think."
“But watch out,” Adam warns. Messi can be very dangerous. He can make devastating dribbles. It is his talent.
–Mbappé earns one hundred million euros a year. Do you want to be as rich as him?
"Yes, we hope so," Adam replies, very convinced. We both want to be footballers. And we will do our best. Mbappé makes us dream.
But that requires a lot of sacrifice. Are you ready?
-Sacrifice, yes. Train a lot, always be aware and obey the coach.
