Lionel Messi has been regarded as the most naturally talented footballer for over a decade now. His six Ballon d’Ors show us that he is in fact the best player in the world. However, nothing lasts forever and Messi is a human being after all. The Argentine is now 33 years of age and is nearing the end of his career. He must pass on the torch to someone else and many have predicted Kylian Mbappe to be the one to follow the great’s footsteps. Neymar in a recent interview gave his two cents on the topic of Mbappe being the best in the world.
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Neymar talks Lionel Messi vs. Kylian Mbappe
The French forward has a very good chance of winning the Ballon d’Or this season if Paris Saint-Germain goes on to win the UEFA Champions League. Mbappe played a pivotal role in beating Bayern Munich in the quarter-finals and they are one of the favorites to take the whole competition. However, Neymar still believes that the player has a lot to learn and that Messi is still a league above the World Cup winner. Neymar spoke to the media about his take on Mbappe and said,
"“Messi is the best player I’ve seen, and Kylian is on his way to becoming one of the best. Kylian is very fast, so I have to be focused and attentive to him all the time. But it was the same with [Andres] Iniesta, Messi or [Luis] Suarez.”“I owe a lot of my happiness at PSG to Mbappe. He’s helped me to learn about the French way of life, he has explained the French mentality to me. I owe a lot of my adaptation to him.”Source Marca"
The only person who can be compared to the Argentine at the moment is Cristiano Ronaldo but even he has one Ballon d’Or less than the world’s best. Mbappe could go on to become the best player in the world but he must prove himself by winning trophies each season and being the most impactful player on the team.
Firstly he must win the Champions League trophy and secondly he must score goals day in and day out just how the Portuguese and the Argentine did back in their prime. Once he can set himself apart from the rest, only then can he be compared to the likes of Messi and Ronaldo. However, he has a good chance of doing so this season. He has been on the form of his life and the Champions League trophy would certainly mean that he is on the right path to creating his own legacy.
Do you think Kylian Mbappe could catch up to Lionel Messi and his achievements in the footballing world?