French forward Kylian Mbappe has brushed aside comparisons linking him to football icons, stating that Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo stand alone as the game’s finest and that such debates do not concern him.
The forward explained that his sole motivation is guiding his national team to another World Cup title. Mbappe underlined the importance of remaining focused in the present and using his experience of the tournament, rather than obsessing over personal rivalries or his eventual legacy.
The star attacker reiterated that his ultimate objective is ensuring France enjoys yet another impressive run on the world stage. The French star refused to be compared to Lionel Messi and Portuguese legend Cristiano Ronaldo.
“Messi is the best player, along with Cristiano, that’s clear. I’m trying to help my team win another World Cup. The rest is just debate for the journalists. Right now, I’m not thinking about Haaland; maybe they’re thinking about us, but I’m thinking about Iraq,” Mbappe said.
“Messi has shown what we’ve seen, that’s a debate for people, it’s good, but it’s not something on my mind. What I want is to bring the trophy home. I won’t be here when I turn 40; they’ll have kicked me out before then. I don’t make future plans; I only think about the present moment, about enjoying the World Cup,” he added.
Focused is on team glory not individual achievement, says Mbappe
Mbappe also downplayed talk of breaking the World Cup all-time scoring record, saying his focus is on helping his team win and secure qualification. He added that goals will naturally bring him closer to the milestone, but stressed that team success matters most.
He also praised Messi’s consistency in front of goal, saying he expected him to score. Recently, Messi equalled Klose’s record of scoring the most goals at the FIFA World Cup with 16, with a hat-trick against Algeria.
“It’s always a pleasure to be there, and the important thing is the match because we have to qualify. I already knew Leo was going to score because he always scores. I’m behind him, but if you score, you get closer, but the most important thing for me is winning the World Cup,” he said.
(With ANI inputs)
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