Kylian Mbappé belongs to the world’s top tier of forwards in football. At his home club Paris Saint-Germain, he reached more than 100 goals at the speed of light. Kylian also soared on the international stage, winning the World Cup in 2018. At UEFA Euro 2020, he hopes to have another big impact on France’s stellar squad. Just a few days before the kick-off of the tournament, the striker had the opportunity to make a cosmic video call with no one less than ESA astronaut Thomas Pesquet. The two French superstars talked football, space and everything in between!
Thomas tunes in from ESA’s Columbus laboratory aboard the International Space Station (ISS). While holding the official Euro 2020 Uniforia ball in his hand, he starts with a short explanation of his activities and daily work environment. “This is where I spend most of my time, doing science experiments. It is actually quite roomy. The Space Station is as big as, guess what, a football pitch! Right now, I don’t know what part of Earth we’re flying over because we revolve around the planet every 90 minutes and we sometimes lose track of what continent we’re hovering over.” At that point Kylian turns over to his webcam – a little bit starstruck – “Hi Thomas… Lovely to meet you. It is crazy to see these images!”
After Kylian asks what it feels like to be in space, Thomas tells him it is like a dream. “It’s a bit like in a footballer’s career, every time you dream of something you also have to put all the work in. We work a lot during the day, we work a lot to get ready to go to space. Like you, we don’t just lift trophies and appear on tv. I know that in your everyday life, it means working a lot.”
It is not the only comparison Thomas makes between his profession and that of Kylian. “There are many nationalities aboard the ISS and people speak different languages, but communication is essential”, Thomas says. He then makes the analogy with the many nationalities present in professional football clubs. “You have to communicate on the pitch and make yourself understood, so I can imagine communication is important in a sports career as well.”
In his passion for science, Thomas was also curious to know more about the advanced (space) technology in football nowadays. “Players are GPS-tracked, everything is calculated, how fast players run, how much distance they cover, everything is put into data. It’s been around for a few years now, to what extent has that become important in football?” Kylian does not have to think long. “It’s ever-present! It’s even become a benchmark. Our workload can be tailored in line with our data. It monitors how a player develops over the course of a season, so you can see the actual results of what you’re doing. I don’t think anything is left to chance in football today. I’ve been in professional football for four or five years now and I’ve already seen that progression, so I can’t imagine what it’s like for those that are older than me and have been around longer. It really is something that’s taken a prominent role in football.”
The International Federation of Association Football (FIFA) introduced standardisation of Electronic Performance and Tracking Systems (EPTS) in 2017. An official mark now indicates if wearable technology has been tested to meet the minimum safety requirements of the International Match Standard (IMS). This certification has further stimulated the uptake of GNSS tracking wearables in football as it allows the technology to be used in competitive play.
Indeed, satellite tracking devices have set foot on all levels in outdoor team sport. If you would like to know more about the technology behind the trend, then be sure to check out this Eurisy article!
Finally, the two Frenchmen also spoke about playing football in outer space. “I tried playing football with my colleagues, but playing weightless football is not great at all. Even zero-gravity juggling is totally pointless, because the ball goes up but never goes down. Except for overhead kicks, but that’s the only thing for which it’s better. So Kylian, I doubt you would be happy here.”
As the conversation comes to an end, Thomas concludes: “There seems to be a few things in common between my universe and yours. And we are also going to follow the Euro 2020 here. I already have my ball ready. My US colleagues are American football fans, but don’t worry I will explain them the rules!” After wishing Kylian good luck for the tournament, Thomas hurls the ball towards the camera and floats out of sight.
We will soon find out whether the galactic conversation has given Kylian a boost, as a difficult task lies ahead. In the tournament’s group of death, they already face football nation giants Germany and Portugal. And if they manage to break through the group stage, they might have to challenge other major contenders such as England, Italy, and Belgium of course!