Accueil - Celebrity - Crossed laterality, the case of Mbappé
Date : 31 Mar 2025Categories : CelebrityEntertainmentNewsScienceSport
‘Kylian Mbappé’s cross laterality’; “Mbappé left-handed or right-handed”… These questions have been the subject of much debate in the footballing world.
But why? After all, the fact that he’s left-handed shouldn’t make any difference to the fact that he’s right-footed! But it does!
The fact that Mbappé is left-handed (yes, I find it as odd as you do to write that J) is important, because his brain doesn’t react in the same way as a right-handed person’s (we’re still talking about the hand). His left laterality controls his right hemisphere, so the information uses a shorter circuit and so his movements, even with his right foot, if you know what I mean, are quicker.
It’s not a question of the directing eye, it’s a question of the information in the brain going faster because you’re left-handed. The information doesn’t need to be transmitted from one hemisphere to the other, but goes directly from the brain to the foot. So, to sum up, less time is wasted.
Some great footballers are left-footed, and perhaps also left-handed. They are said to have something extra, even elegance. As in many sports, they destabilise their opponents. The strategic aspect of being left-handed plays a big part in this, especially against a goalkeeper who is more used to catching balls fired by right-handed players.
Football isn’t the only sport in life! Cross laterality can be used in many sports, both individual and team. Frequently thought to handicap children’s learning, like left-handedness in general, this laterality can become an asset if it is properly managed.
Unfortunately, my knowledge of football doesn’t allow me to venture into that area, so I’ll leave it to the football professionals on the sofa!
The study does not tell us whether it is because he is left-handed that he is HPI, which would give him a slight advantage… He would not be the first left-handed genius, far from it, see the article on fascinating left-handers.
This is where things get complicated. Some left-handers are just left-handed: hand, foot, ear, eye. Others may only be left-handed and not left-footed, or vice versa. We’re going to end up with our brains in knots! In short, Kylian uses his left hand to sign autographs or big contracts, for example with Real Madrid, but it’s his right foot that’s worth its weight in gold and that’s what makes him so special, or almost. Right-footed on the pitch, he is a special case, because he acts like a left-handed ‘brain’, faster and with a different awareness of space and spatial representation.
We speak of homogeneous left-handedness or right-handedness when the preferred hand, eye and foot are all on the same side. According to Dr Galobardès, 56% of children are homogeneously right-handed, 10% have crossed hand/foot laterality and 26% have crossed hand/eye laterality. So Kylian is not alone!
Unfortunately, my knowledge of soccer doesn’t allow me to venture into that area, so I’ll leave it to the professionals!