Messi vs Mbappe Part II: World Cup stars chase Ballon dOr
Lionel Messi finally has something Kylian Mbappe already had with a World Cup winners medal. Now Mbappe wants what Messi has won many times: the Ballon dOr.
After their fascinating duel in a wild World Cup final, the tournaments best player Messi and its top scorer Mbappe are firm front-runners to win the next mens Ballon dOr.
Call it Messi vs. Mbappe part II, and it continues Wednesday when the Paris Saint-Germain teammates face Angers in a French league game. Messi was given an extended break back home in Argentina after the World Cup, but has resumed full training and PSG coach Christophe Galtier hopes hell be ready to play.
Because they play for the same team, their rivalry could intensify over the rest of this season.
The 35-year-old Messi has won a record seven Ballon dOr trophies given to the best player in Europe. Only five Frenchmen — including Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema — have won it but the 24-year-old Mbappe has never been on the podium.
Mbappe made his goals clear while at the ceremony when Benzema won: “For me, of course its an objective to win one or many of them. But of course theres a process to reach that. I think Im on the right track.” A challenger this time could be prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, but he didnt play at the World Cup — let alone star in it — after Norway failed to qualify.
Mbappe won the 2018 World Cup with France when he was just 19. Messi waited agonisingly long to get his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy, losing in the 2014 final. He did so in style last month, when Argentina beat France to win its third World Cup title in arguably the most intense final in the tournaments 92-year history.
Messis two goals in the final capped a remarkable tournament where he scored seven times, finished as the best player, and reached a whopping 98 goals overall for Argentina.
The good news for Argentina fans is that he wants to play a little while longer wearing the Albiceleste jersey.
Mbappe, meanwhile, became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final and finished one ahead of Messi on eight goals as tournaments top scorer — the first to reach that haul since Brazils Ronaldo in 2002.
Mbappes overall tally of 12 World Cup goals puts him level with Brazil great Pele — and one behind Messi and Frenchman Just Fontaine, the single-tournament record holder with 13 in 1958.
Former West Germany striker Gerd Mueller (14), Ronaldo (15) and record holder Miroslav Klose of Germany (16) are well within Mbappes sights considering the young Frenchman may have three more World Cups ahead of him.
By the 2026 World Cup, Mbappe should also be well in front as Frances all-time leading mens scorer. He currently has 36 goals and World Cup teammate Olivier Giroud leads Les Bleus with 53.
By the time the next World Cup comes around, Messi will be nearly 39 and perhaps retired from soccer altogether.
So the coast is clear for Mbappe to pulverise World Cup scoring records.
But before he starts thinking about that he has the pressing matter of a first Ballon dOr to win, and its a tall order with Messi as his main rival. But what a treat in store for French soccer fans if they both keep raising their game.
Mbappe played for PSG 10 days after losing the final in Qatar, showing great determination to put that defeat behind him.
The Ballon dOr race has the makings of a classic contest between the teammates, since they were both in fine form for PSG before heading to the World Cup.
Mbappe tops the league scoring charts with 13 goals and Messi is tied with PSG teammate Neymar for the most assists (10). Mbappe is co-top scorer in the Champions League with seven goals, while Messi again heads the assists chart with four.
Messi won the Champions League four times with former club Barcelona, where he became a superstar and scored 672 goals before joining PSG last season.
PSG has never won the Champions League and this could prove a key factor in Ballon dOr consideration — especially if Mbappe leads the French giant to the European title.
If Messi doesnt play Wednesday at home, PSGs next game is at Rennes on Sunday.
“He had an extraordinary World Cup with a lot of physical effort and challenges, Galtier said. We hope hes ready for (Angers).
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by The Federal staff and is auto-published from a syndicated feed.)
