Kylian Mbappe wasted no time settling the debate when asked to rank himself alongside Lionel Messi, Erling Haaland and Harry Kane at the 2026 World Cup.
Asked at a press conference to compare the four players, the France captain pointed straight to the 38-year-old Argentinian.
“Lionel is the best of the four players, it’s clear,” Mbappe said. “He is the best of the best with Cristiano [Ronaldo]. He’s shown over 15 years he has an amazing quality. For the rest, it’s a debate for journalists and fans.”
Messi had opened his World Cup account with a hat-trick against Algeria, while Kane and Haaland had each netted twice in their respective openers, and Mbappe had scored a brace as France beat Senegal 3-1 before adding two more against Iraq in a 3-0 win that sent Les Bleus into the round of 32.
Messi’s treble against Algeria carried particular significance, moving him level with Germany’s Miroslav Klose on 16 World Cup goals and matching the all-time tournament scoring record. He did not stay level for long.
In Argentina’s second game, a 2-0 win over Austria at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, Messi struck twice more to move outright to 18 World Cup goals, breaking Klose’s record and becoming the highest scorer in the history of the tournament. At 38 years and 364 days old, he also became the third oldest man to score at a World Cup, behind only Cameroon’s Roger Milla and Portugal’s Pepê.
The Iraq game was also a personal landmark for Mbappe. His 100th international cap made him the youngest man to reach that milestone for France and the fourth-youngest European man to do so, at 27 years and 184 days.
France have now reached the knockout stage at four consecutive World Cups, their longest such run in the nation’s history. They face Norway in their final group game, with the top spot in Group I still to be decided.
