Kylian Mbappe has made a flying start to the 2026 World Cup, and only one player managed to outscore the France captain in the opening round of matches.
That player is Lionel Messi. The Argentina forward sits ahead of Mbappe at the top of the scoring charts, and the France captain could hardly say he was surprised.
The two spent years together at Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappe watched Messi up close, day after day, and learned long ago what the 38-year-old is capable of. Now they are chasing the same prize again in the United States, and Mbappe has made his feelings about his old teammate clear.
Kylian Mbappe’s honest verdict on Lionel Messi and the World Cup’s best
The Argentine arrived in the United States in frightening form, and the signs had been there for weeks.
In his final five appearances for Inter Miami before the MLS break, he produced 12 goal involvements. Away from the spotlight, Messi dominated his Inter Miami teammates with an 80-goal spree in an in-house tournament earlier this year.
So Messi topping the charts in America was no shock — least of all to Mbappe.
Speaking to The Guardian, the France forward said he had expected exactly this: “I knew Messi would go and score goals, he always does.
“He is ahead of me but I will keep scoring to help our squad go as far as possible. When you score goals it helps towards breaking records, but I want to win the World Cup.”
Mbappe was then asked to rank the tournament’s biggest names — himself, Messi, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland. He did not need a second to think.
He admitted: “Lionel is the best of the four players, it’s clear.”
“He is the best of the best with Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He’s shown over 15 years he has an amazing quality. For the rest, it’s a debate for journalists and fans. It’s good to debate but it’s not an issue in my head. I just try to show what I can do and show my ability on the biggest stage.”
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The history between the pair runs deeper than a group-stage scoring race. They met in 2022, where Messi’s Argentina beat France on penalties after Mbappe scored a hat-trick in what may go down as the greatest World Cup final ever.
There is no bad blood — only respect from the Frenchman. But if the bracket sends the two back toward one another in the United States, Mbappe will be desperate for a different ending this time.
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