‘It’s clear’: Kylian Mbappe picks Lionel Messi over Haaland, Kane—and even himself alongside Cristiano Ronaldo

Kylian Mbappe also opened up on his battle with Lionel Messi for World Cup goal-scoring record.

Updated on: Jun 22, 2026, 20:44:06 IST

Written by Aratrick Mondal

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The opening round of the 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage saw football's biggest stars arrive in style. Lionel Messi struck a sensational hat-trick for Argentina, while Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane all scored braces for their respective nations. Yet when asked to rank himself alongside those names, Mbappe had no hesitation in placing Messi at the very top — while also making sure to include his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, despite the Portugal captain's difficult start to the tournament.

France's forward #10 Kylian Mbappe gives an MD-1 press conference at the Philadelphia Stadium in Philadelphia on June 21 (AFP)

Speaking ahead of France's second group-stage match against Iraq in Philadelphia, Mbappe was asked to pick the best player among himself, Messi, Haaland and Kane. The French captain immediately chose the Argentine legend, who had scored the first World Cup hat-trick of his career in Argentina's 3-0 win over Algeria. The treble also drew Messi level with Miroslav Klose's all-time men's World Cup scoring record of 16 goals.

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"The best of the four players? Lionel Messi," Mbappe said with a laugh, without needing a second to think.

He then broadened the discussion to include Ronaldo, who came under scrutiny after failing to score in Portugal's shock 1-1 draw against DR Congo.

"It's clear. He's the best in the world with Cristiano [Ronaldo], it's clear.

"He's shown for 15 years that he has amazing quality. Me, I just try to do what I can do, show my quality on the biggest stage and help my team win another World Cup.

"The rest is a debate for the people, the journalists and the fans. It's good to debate who is the best and who performs better, but for me, it's not a question in my head. It's only about how I can help my team."

France and Argentina will both be in action on Monday, with Messi and Mbappe continuing their pursuit of World Cup history. While Messi needs just one more goal to become the tournament's outright leading scorer, Mbappe is closing in rapidly. The France forward currently has 14 goals from only 15 World Cup appearances, leaving him just two behind the Argentine.

"I already knew Messi was going to keep scoring goals," Mbappe continued. "He always does. He's ahead of me and I'm behind him. I'll keep scoring to help my national team go as far as possible.

"When you score goals, you have a better chance of going far, and I want to win the World Cup."

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Aratrick Mondal
Aratrick Mondal is a senior sports journalist based in New Delhi. In his eight years as a sports writer, Aratrick has worked at leading media organisations, including The Times of India, Times Now, Zee, India TV and currently works at a senior position at Hindustan Times Digital. He writes on cricket, football, pickleball and tennis, among other sports. He has extensively covered India's evolving cricket landscape, the country's new-found love for private leagues such as Indian Pickleball League (IPBL), Ultimate Kho Kho League (UKK), Rugby Premier League (RPL) and several tennis leagues. He has closely covered emerging sports such as pickleball. His coverage of major franchise events lends an atmospheric flavor to his ground reports. His recent story on how SA20 (the domestic cricket league of South Africa) had opened up its grounds to create a carnival-like fan experience garnered major international attention, including appreciation from major cricketers. Tennis holds a special place in his heart. Aratrick has built a strong niche in analytical tennis stories—ranging from Grand Slam narratives and player profiles to tactical breakdowns and ranking trends. His long-form features often decode grand slams, career highs and lows of tennis greats and the upward trajectory of emerging stars. He also closely follows India's tennis landscape, having covered the Davis Cup, Bengaluru Open and Tata Open, among others. His reporting is backed by strong data capabilities, with hands-on experience using tools like Python, Tableau, and Excel to produce visually rich, insight-led stories. This data-first approach enhances accuracy, transparency, and trust. In leadership roles, he has managed editorial shifts, overseen homepage strategy, optimised SEO workflows, and mentored peers to deliver consistent, high-traffic journalism. He recently won the HT DigiStar award for the third quarter of financial year 2025-26. Aratrick is trusted for his balanced reportage, sound sourcing, and ability to translate complex sporting events into engaging narratives that speak to a wide audience. He believes sports is for everyone, not just for the enthusiasts and has a unique ability to bring people together - just like the sumptuous meals you'll often find him cooking on a weekend evening.Read More

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