Kylian Mbappe vs Lionel Messi: Who’s the best?

Kylian Mbappe in action. By Public Domain. Wikimedia

Kylian Mbappe vs Lionel Messi: Who’s the best?

To be honest, determining who the best superstar in a particular field becomes the most difficult task one could face. This is the case of attempting to determine who is the best between Messi and the young rising star Kylian Mbappe. Despite the fact that both players perform admirably on the field, there are statistics that distinguish them. These include goals, major trophy wins, and one who is regarded as the “Greatest of All Time” by fans (GOAT). In this article, we will compare Lionel Messi of Argentina and Kylian Mbappe of France to see who is the greatest. Both are currently PSG players. Let’s take a look;

1. Messi won major awards at the current age of Mbappe

Argentine footballer Lionel Messi. By Domain. Wikimedia

Messi had already won four La Liga titles and three Champions League titles. Including a stunning performance in the 2011 final against Sir Alex Ferguson’s Manchester United.

At the age of 25, Messi had already won three Ballon d’Or awards. Mbappe has yet to receive the world’s most prestigious football award.

There is no doubt that the French superstar is on his way to becoming the world’s best player, but he has a long way to go if he wants to have a career like Messi.

READ MORE ABOUT LIONEL MESSI

2. Messi is the country’s all-time leading goalscorer

Lionel Messi. Picture By Fanny Schertzer. Wikimedia

Messi, an Argentine international, holds the national record for appearances and is the all-time leading goalscorer in Argentina.

At the youth level, he won the 2005 FIFA World Youth Championship, winning both the Golden Ball and the Golden Shoe, as well as an Olympic gold medal at the 2008 Summer Olympics.

His diminutive, left-footed dribbling style drew comparisons to his compatriot Diego Maradona, who described Messi as his successor.

After making his senior debut in August 2005, Messi became the youngest Argentine to play and score in a FIFA World Cup in 2006, and he went on to reach the final of the 2007 Copa América, where he was named the tournament’s young player.

As captain of the team since August 2011, he has led Argentina to three consecutive finals.

READ MORE ABOUT: ARGENTINE FOOTBALLERS

3. Messi has won many Ballons d’Or in a row

Ballon D’Or Award won by Messi seven times. By Ank Kumar. Wikimedia

In general, Mbappe is still aiming to reach the top and win major awards. Mbappe has yet to win the Ballon D’Or, despite being nominated in many cases, including last season. 

In the span of three years,  Messi helped Barcelona achieve the first treble in Spanish football; that year, at the age of 22, Messi won his first Ballon d’Or. Three successful seasons followed, with Messi becoming the first player in history to win the Ballon d’Or four times in a row.

Messi finished second in the Ballon d’Or the following two seasons. Trailing Cristiano Ronaldo (his perceived career rival). He regained his best form during the 2014-15 season, becoming the all-time top scorer in La Liga. He led Barcelona to a historic second treble, for which he was awarded a fifth Ballon d’Or in 2015.  

4. Messi has broken top longstanding records compared to Mbappe

As Messi maintained his goal-scoring form into the second half of the season, he broke several long-standing records in 2012. On March 7, two weeks after scoring four goals against Valencia in the league, he scored five goals against Bayer Leverkusen in the Champions League last 16 round, an unprecedented feat in the competition’s history.

In addition to being the joint top assist provider with five assists, he was the top scorer with 14 goals, tying José Altafini’s 1962-63 season record, and becoming only the second player after Gerd Müller to be the top scorer in four seasons.

Two weeks later, on March 20, Messi became the club’s all-time leading scorer at the age of 24. overtaking the 57-year record of César Rodríguez’s 232 goals with a hat-trick against Granada. 

5. Lionel is a bit skilled in dribbling to Mbappe

Messi has a lower center of gravity than taller players, which gives him greater agility and allows him to change direction more quickly and avoid opposing tackles. As a result, the Spanish press dubbed him La Pulga Atómica (“The Atomic Flea”).

Despite his diminutive stature, he possesses significant upper-body strength, which, combined with his low center of gravity and resulting balance, aids him in withstanding physical challenges from opponents; as a result, he has been criticized for his lack of diving in a sport rife with playacting.

His short, strong legs allow him to excel at short bursts of acceleration, while his quick feet allow him to maintain control of the ball while dribbling at high speeds.

6. Messi All time La-Liga top scorer

Messi scoring for Barcelona. By Christopher Johnson. Wikimedia

Despite his impressive football stats, Mbappe has only won major domestic trophies. He has achieved these at PSG. PSG has long dominated Ligue 1. Messi has played in La Liga, a highly competitive and demanding league.

Messi debuted for the ‘Blaugrana’ in 2004, and he has since gone on to become the all-time leading scorer in La Liga, Spain’s domestic league football. In 520 appearances, the Argentine has scored 474 goals for Barcelona.

Lionel also holds the La Liga record for most home goals (277) and away goals (197). In La Liga history, he has scored against 38 different opponents.

His rival Cristiano Ronaldo is second with 311 goals, despite the fact that the Portuguese international had only appeared for his club Real Madrid 292 times.

7. Lionel is Idolised by fans as the GOAT

The name Lionel Messi is synonymous with football. From the moment the 17-year-old wunderkind made his senior debut for FC Barcelona in 2004, the left-footed magician from Argentina has racked up numerous accolades and broken numerous records that future generations may find difficult to break.

Apart from being a prolific goal scorer, Messi is an exceptional playmaker who, in addition to being the Spanish league’s all-time leading scorer, also holds the record for most assists provided, with 216.

With 129 assists, his former teammate and current FC Barcelona coach Xavi Hernandez are the second.

READ MORE ABOUT: PARIS SAINT GERMAN PLAYERS

8. Most La Liga hattricks and most goals in a calendar year are with Messi

We are not dismissing Mbappe in this regard because he has also scored a hat trick on several occasions. He is expected to record the most hattricks in a single season. 

Apart from being named La Liga’s top scorer for the eighth consecutive season, Messi also holds the record for most goals scored in a single season in the league, with 50 during the 2011-12 season, while his Portuguese counterpart managed 46 that same season.

Ronaldo came within two goals of breaking Messi’s record during the 2014/15 season. Messi also holds the record for most goals scored in a calendar year, with 91 for both club and country in 2012.

9. Messi has won Prestigious awards in one season

Messi, who holds the record for the most number of Ballon d’Or, with 7 wins, is also the only footballer to win the FIFA World Player, Pichichi Trophy, and Golden Boot, all during his 2009/10 campaign when the then 22-year-old won his first Ballon D’or, beating Ronaldo by over 240 points.

He then went on to win the Ballon d’Or for 3 consecutive years. Mbappe is yet to achieve this far by winning prestigious awards in a single season. Kylian’s career is so promising so let’s be patient.

10. Messi is still playing at 34 years of age

Lionel Messi in PSG. Picture Courtesy of Bigmatbasket. Wikimedia

There aren’t many players who reach the age of 33 and continue to play football. To Messi, age appears to be just a number.

The tricks and displays he performs on the field are enough to make him play at the age of 40, hilarious! He is still winning man of the match, dribbling, and scoring fantastic goals at his age.

Mbappe, his teammate, also plays well, and his speed may allow him to play until Messi’s age unless otherwise stated.

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