At the Stade de France, Mbappé plays with sick and disabled children

French football player Kylian Mbappé fulfilled the dream of many children on Wednesday (Apr. 12).

He took part in a football match with children from unprivileged backgrounds at the Stade de France, north of Paris.

The star has been a patron of the "Premiers de Cordée" association for 6 years. He confessed his admiration for these kids.

"We may be admired for the things we do, and we deservedly so, but they are the real heroes. They are the ones who fight real battles every day; we don't have struggles like that," he said.

"It's not hard to play for Paris-Saint-Germain or captain the French team; it's much harder to fight against illness every day, not knowing what the future will hold, if indeed there is a future. That's the true battle, and that's why I have endless admiration for these children, and why it's a pleasure for me not just to give them something, but to see all these little warriors fighting their daily battles."

Giving back

Cheered on by crowds the 24-year-old and four teammates who were kids from different age groups, won and lost some games. The younger brother of the PSG player also took part in the event.

"It always brings out the child in us because, no matter our age, we've all found ourselves in the position of dreaming about something or dreaming about someone, in any walk of life. When I see all these children, it makes me think back to when I would play as a child, and wonder how crazy I would have gone to meet a player. It's a real pleasure for both me and them to be able to give something back."

"Premiers de Cordée" association was the organizer of the event. In addition to Mbappé, French famous athletes including basketball player Émilie Gomis and hanballer Thierry Omeyer met with over 3,000 children in attendance.

"It is also a breath of fresh air in our daily lives. I think that when you're a footballer you live in a bubble, and rightly so, because you have to protect yourself from everything. But it's also important to be brought back to reality, because some things are much more important than football."

Kylian Mbappé has championed different causes, taking part in charitable activities.