Belgium's Meunier criticises Mbappe's behaviour in semi-final

Kylian Mbappe has only further justified his reputation as a nascent star of global football this World Cup with some scintillating displays, but it appears he hasn't entirely impressed every onlooker.

His Paris Saint-Germain teammate Thomas Meunier, who was kept out of Belgium's semi-final matchup against France by suspension, has publicly called out the teenager for what he perceived as time-wasting antics.

"In Paris, I have rarely seen Kylian waste time the way he did towards the end against us," Meunier told reporters on Thursday, as quoted by ESPN's Jonathan Johnson. "I am sure he was instructed to do that. He is super talented and a future superstar. I hope that he is not being badly influenced.

"If players like Zinedine Zidane or Ronaldo became legends with Real Madrid back in the day, it is because they played with pride and desire on the pitch. Zidane and Ronaldo's aims were not to be cinematic or to do things like that. They have always been rightly respected because of their footballing ability and attitude.

"Over the years, as he matures, Kylian will probably understand that attitude is an important part of becoming a legend."

What one player calls being "cinematic," however, another may term as simple game management. If Mbappe was playing to slow the game down and let the seconds trickle away, it didn't do his nation any harm - France ultimately won that semi-final 1-0 thanks to Samuel Umtiti's header to book a World Cup final date with first-time finalist Croatia on Sunday.

Mbappe, already a European phenomenon after a superb debut season with PSG, has shown his talents on the world's biggest stage this summer. The former AS Monaco prodigy has scored three goals for Les Blues, including an outstanding brace against Argentina in the round of 16.