Given a choice between Messi, Haaland, Kane and himself at the 2026 World Cup, Mbappé refused to include his own name, and he pulled Cristiano Ronaldo into the answer instead.
“Messi is the best player, along with Cristiano, that’s clear,” Mbappé told reporters at France’s press conference before their second group-stage match against Iraq.
“For 16 years, they have shown the extraordinary quality they possess.”
He would not rank himself
Pressed on where that left him, Mbappé sidestepped.
“I just try to do what I know how to do: show my quality on the biggest stage possible and help my national team,” he said.
Haaland and Kane went unmentioned in the ranking, left in the tier below the two players Mbappé had picked out unprompted.
His own tournament had started strongly. France beat Senegal 3-1 in their group opener, with Mbappé scoring twice.
The Messi record was already ahead of him
A separate contest was running through the tournament, the race for the all-time World Cup scoring record.
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Mbappé went into France’s opener trailing Messi in career World Cup goals and did not try to talk his way past it.
“I already knew Leo was going to score because he always scores. I’m behind him, but if you score, you get closer,” Mbappé said, according to The Tribune. “But the most important thing for me is winning the World Cup.”
“I won’t be here when I turn 40. They’ll have kicked me out before then.”
The trophy went to Spain
The World Cup Mbappé said he was chasing did not end in his hands. Spain beat Argentina 1-0 in extra time in the 19 July final at MetLife Stadium, Ferran Torres scoring in the 106th minute to give Spain their second world title.
Messi, on the losing side in the final, remained above Mbappé on his own list.
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