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Report: Baby Named 'Griezmann Mbappe' Investigated by French Authorities
November 30, 2018
A French couple who reportedly named their son "Griezmann Mbappe" after two of France's 2018 FIFA World Cup heroes, forwards Antoine Griezmann and Kylian Mbappe, could be forced to change his name.
La Montagne reported that the public prosecutor in Brive, where the couple reside, could order a name change (h/t ESPN FC's Jonathan Johnson). The local registrar deemed the name to be "against the child's best interests or infringing on the rights of third parties to protect their family name."
Atletico Madrid attacker Griezmann and Paris Saint-Germain ace Mbappe each scored four goals at the World Cup, helping guide France to their first World Cup crown since 1998.
Griezmann has been one of the best finishers in the sport for a number of years and has flourished since joining Atletico four-and-a-half years ago.
It's easy to see why French football fans might be attached to the forward, as he's something of a likable character beyond his obvious talent on the pitch:
Mbappe, 19, has already led his club and country to major accolades and earned comparisons with football greats while still a teenager.
Both he and Griezmann scored in the 4-2 final win over Croatia in July, and it was Mbappe who bagged the decisive fourth to put the fixture beyond their opponents.
That showdown at the Luzhniki Stadium in Moscow is sure to have made a lasting impression on many French fans.
The couple in Brive appear to be among the players' admirers but may not be permitted to prove their affection as hoped.
Griezmann Mbappe is still named as such on his birth certificate for the time being, but the Brive authorities could order a change if the title is found to be an infringement on his rights.