Hai Phong man suddenly famous for looking like Mbappe
Looking like France forward Kylian Mbappe, Nguyen Van Thanh became famous. Local eatery in Hai Phong now crowded.
Early June 2026, video of customer ordering "Mbappe portion of pork offal porridge to go" went viral. Got over 1.3 million views.
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Man in video is Nguyen Van Thanh, 31, owner of dinner eatery at Mep market, Tu Ky commune, Hai Phong. People say face, haircut, dark skin look like French forward. Videos of him wearing number 9 jersey get millions of views.
Kylian Mbappe is France national team forward, born 1998. Famous football superstar, played for AS Monaco and Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). Since 2024, Mbappe plays for Real Madrid (Spain). Known for speed, skill, scoring ability. Icon of new sports generation. High brand value, fan base, income. Won 2018 World Cup, Golden Boot at 2022 World Cup.
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Hai Phong man goes viral for looking like Mbappe
Videos shared by Nguyen Van Thanh in June 2026. Viewers say he looks like French forward Kylian Mbappe. Source: Kim Hoa Cooperative
Thanh and friend Nguyen Cong Tuan, 33, opened eatery in early 2025. Serve country dishes, open 17:00 to 22:30. Day time, cook for local events. Before, Thanh worked abroad, returned to Vietnam to open wedding photo studio.
Thanh said fame came by chance after cutting hair short in summer 2025 to stay cool. Since 2021, people said he looked like French player. He ignored. Changed haircut, saw photo collages by friends, realized similarity.
Bui Huong, Thanh's wife, surprised by husband's look. "Saw him come home with new haircut, laughed. Life funnier, did not ask him to change style," Huong said.
Nguyen Van Thanh (left) and forward Kylian Mbappe (right) look alike. Photo: May Don
Fame disrupted Thanh's life. Strangers stop him on street for photos. Local kids shout French player's name when passing eatery. Arsenal fan, but likes Mbappe's speed. "Vietnam's Mbappe" nickname now familiar. Smiles, greets people who call him that.
Online effect boosted customers. People from Hanoi, Nam Dinh, Bac Giang came to see owner.
Internet sensation, but Thanh rejected media, commercial offers. Focuses on eatery. "Hope videos bring laughter. Want to keep customers with food quality, not looks," he said.
Besides looking like Kylian Mbappe, Nguyen Van Thanh loves football. Photo: May Don
Busy eatery changed original plans. Planned to make cooking videos, sell local farm products. Too busy now, plans delayed.
During World Cup 2026, spent 15 minutes daily making short videos themed "Mbappe's life in Vietnam".
To stay healthy, owner refused late hours for night football viewers. Plans to stabilize staff, promote local products like fiddler crab sauce, mung bean cake, gai cake to help locals earn more.
Winning vô địch Best player Top scorer
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