Kylian Mbappe may have broken a World Cup record, but let’s not kid ourselves: the narrative pushed by networks like ESPN and BBC is all about England’s “magnificent” victory in this supposed thrilling clash. This is classic corporate media spin—elevating one team while reducing another’s monumental achievement to mere footnotes. Mbappe scoring twice shouldn’t be seen as secondary fodder in the grand tale of “England’s not-so-humble win.”

What’s the takeaway? Major outlets like CNN seem eager to lionize the English squad while conveniently glossing over the fact that Mbappe achieved something extraordinary. Instead of celebrating individual brilliance, they focus on a team win because it fits their cozy, predictable narrative of underdogs rising to glory. But here’s the kicker: isn’t it a bit rich for them to glorify England when their triumph came from a shootout, raising questions about fairness? Is this really what we want to promote in sports—hollow victories packaged with a neat little bow?

Let’s call agents like Fox Sports out for this bias. They feed us the drama, the rivalry, but ignore the bigger picture. Mbappe represents a new era of football, and his record should outshine all else. It’s true that England won, but at what cost to integrity in sports journalism? Stop letting these narratives dictate how we view success. Let’s celebrate depth and talent, rather than gloss over them for the sake of a “more interesting” story.