How fast is Kylian Mbappé?

He was reportedly clocked at around 38 km/h (about 23.6 mph) during a 2019 sprint — one of the fastest speeds ever recorded for a footballer — with recent season peaks tracked around 35 km/h.

How do I get faster for soccer?

Focus on acceleration: short maximal sprints of 10–30 metres performed fresh with full recovery, plus strength and plyometric work to put more force into the ground. Train speed rested, not fatigued.

Is top speed or acceleration more important in soccer?

Acceleration. Most in-game sprints are over short distances and end before a player reaches top speed, so the first 10–30 metres matter most.

Speed Like Mbappé: How the Fastest Players Train Acceleration

6 min read · Updated June 8, 2026

Kylian Mbappé's speed is genuinely historic — he was reportedly clocked around 38 km/h on a 2019 sprint, one of the highest velocities ever recorded for a footballer. But here's the part that helps you: the speed that wins matches isn't top-end track speed, it's acceleration over the first 10–30 metres. And that's trainable.

Most soccer speed is acceleration

Mbappé's famous 38 km/h run covered nearly half the pitch — but the vast majority of in-game sprints end before a player ever reaches top speed. What separates fast players in real games is how quickly they hit their gears over short distances. That's where your training time should go.

See the full breakdown in our sprint training guide.

Train it fresh, not fatigued

Speed is a quality, not a conditioning drill — so you train it rested. Short maximal sprints (10–30 m) with full recovery keep every rep at top quality. The moment your times drop off, the session is done; sprinting tired just trains slowness and risks a hamstring.

The drill

10-20-30 Acceleration Ladder

Acceleration & top-end speed over match distances

Level: All levelsSetup: Cones at 10, 20, and 30 m. Flat, grippy surface.

Work

Maximal sprints: 10 m, 20 m, 30 m

Recovery

Walk back + full rest (45–60 s)

Reps

2–3 rounds (6–9 sprints)

Intensity

100% — every rep all-out

How to do it

1Warm up fully: easy jog, mobility, then build-ups rising to near-max.
2From a staggered stance, sprint all-out to 10 m; walk back and rest.
3Repeat at 20 m, then 30 m to complete one round.
4Rest fully between reps; run 2–3 rounds while fresh, then stop.

Coaching cues

Drive hard into the ground for the first steps — push, don't reach.
Stay low out of the start and rise gradually.
Stop the session the moment a rep feels slow.

Run a drill like this with a timer →

Strength makes you fast

Top sprinters are strong. Heavy, low-rep strength work and plyometrics give you more force to put into the ground, which is what acceleration actually is. Pair your speed days with strength, warm up thoroughly, and progress gradually.

Stop reading. Start training.

Get a real drill matched to your level and goal, and run it with the built-in timer. Free, no account.

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Frequently asked

How fast is Kylian Mbappé?: He was reportedly clocked at around 38 km/h (about 23.6 mph) during a 2019 sprint — one of the fastest speeds ever recorded for a footballer — with recent season peaks tracked around 35 km/h.
How do I get faster for soccer?: Focus on acceleration: short maximal sprints of 10–30 metres performed fresh with full recovery, plus strength and plyometric work to put more force into the ground. Train speed rested, not fatigued.
Is top speed or acceleration more important in soccer?: Acceleration. Most in-game sprints are over short distances and end before a player reaches top speed, so the first 10–30 metres matter most.