Following the 2026 World Cup, images of the apartment complex opposite the Leo Lagrange stadium, where Mbappe grew up, have been widely circulated on social media. The building is located in Bondy (Seine Saint Denis province), about 11 km from central Paris.

Elmire Florimond, who lived for 29 years in the apartment directly below Mbappe's childhood home, recalled, "I always heard thumping sounds because Kylian was playing football in his room. His mother often had to come down to apologize. However, Kylian was a well-behaved and respectful child."

From Florimond's window, one could see the AS Bondy club's Leo Lagrange stadium. Mbappe first came here with his father at four years old. While his father coached, he would play football on the sidelines, observing the players train. At five years old, he officially joined the club.

His father, Wilfried, a Cameroonian, worked at AS Bondy for over 20 years. His mother, Fayza, of Algerian descent and born in Bondy, was a professional handball player and worked in youth development. Mbappe's parents steered him towards sports early on. During the week, he attended the Clairefontaine football academy; on weekends, he returned to Bondy to train with his father.

Mbappe's bedroom was adorned with posters of Zinedine Zidane and Cristiano Ronaldo. A photo of him sitting in the middle of this room gained widespread attention when he joined Real Madrid, the club where both Zidane and Ronaldo had played.

The wall of an apartment complex in Bondy, Paris, France. Photo: Mirror

Bondy, part of Seine Saint Denis province and often referred to as district 93, faces an unemployment rate double the French national average. Crime and violence are persistent issues. In 2005, when Mbappe was six years old, riots reached Bondy, with protestors burning oto and clashing with authorities.

His neighborhood was home to French families and immigrants from Africa, Asia, and Arab countries. Mbappe shared that growing up there taught him to treat everyone equally.

In 2020, Mbappe wrote to the children of Bondy, stating, "In Bondy, we may not have much money, but we are big dreamers. Perhaps because dreams cost nothing."

As Mbappe gained fame, his image began appearing throughout his old neighborhood. A prominent 20 m high mural on a nearby apartment building depicts a young Mbappe holding a ball and a grown Mbappe in his France national team number 10 jersey, alongside the message, "Love your dream and it will love you back." This mural was completed in december 2019, commemorating his 21st birthday.

Following the 2018 World Cup victory, Mbappe's sports sponsor funded the construction of a football pitch with an iron frame in Bondy. Additionally, his portrait, bearing the message "Bondy, the city of possibilities," was painted on another apartment complex.

An empty bed of a homeless person near Leo Lagrange stadium, Bondy, Paris, France. Photo: Mirror

Brigitte Legrand, a neighborhood resident, once put up a sign in front of the apartment complex gate, noting that 1998 marked both the year France won the World Cup and Mbappe's birth year. She aimed for the children there to understand they have diverse options for their future.

Even after leaving Bondy, Mbappe has maintained contact with his former neighbors. He once invited Florimond's family to watch Paris Saint-Germain play and meet him after the match.

In 2020, Mbappe founded the Inspired by KM organization, which supports 98 children in education, culture, and sports. The number 98 symbolizes his birth year. The striker also donates all his earnings from playing for the France national team to charitable funds.

Ngoc Ngan (According to Mirror)