KYLIAN Mbappe is far better than both Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo were at the same age, his breathtaking Champions League record suggests.
The young PSG star stole the show from Barcelona icon Messi at the Nou Camp last night with a hat-trick in his side’s 4-1 demolition of the Spanish giants.
Lionel Messi can’t hide his dejection as Mbappe tears Barca apart last nightCredit: Getty Images – Getty
His treble took his overall tally in the competition to 24 goals in just 41 appearances, to go with his 16 assists.
At the same age of 22 years and 58 days, Messi had only managed 17 goals and seven assists from his 33 Champions League appearances for Barca.
As for Ronaldo, he was still waiting to get off the mark in Europe’s premier club competiton after making 26 appearances for Manchester United.
It would take him 30 games before he managed to find the net, eventually scoring two in the 7-1 thrashing of Roma in October 2007.
Mbappe, who now has 16 goals in all competitions this season for Mauricio Pochettino’s side, still has some way to match their overall records though.
Ronaldo, 36, has an incredible 134 goals in the competition – which he has won five times – and will be looking to add to that when Juventus play Porto tonight.
Messi, 33, is slightly behind his Portuguese rival on both goals and trophies, scoring 119 times and having a mere four Champions League winner’s medals to his name.
Despite their records and a collective 11 Ballons d’Or between them, BT pundit Joe Cole last night claimed Ronaldo and Messi are now behind Mbappe in the world’s greatest player stakes.
Messi has four Champions League winner’s medals to his name, including this one from 2009Credit: AFP or licensors
Ronaldo lifts the Champions League in 2008 after taking an age to get off the mark in the competitionCredit: Getty – Contributor
The former England, Chelsea and West Ham star told BT Sport: “Mbappe is the best player in the world, at the moment.
“His link-up play, his work-rate off the ball, he is the alpha dog in football at the moment.”
Rio Ferdinand was slightly more reserved in his judgment, and tipped Mbappe to ‘take the throne’ from Messi and Ronaldo.
The former Man United star added: “Mbappe is on his own – out of young players he’s on his own. People forget he’s 22 years old.
“Given he’s won the World Cup, what he’s done in the French league and in the Champions League, he’s been immense.
“This guy is going to take over the throne from Messi and Ronaldo when they’re done with it.”
And it’s not just pundits who are fans – UFC icon Khabib Nurmagomedov was pictured after last night’s game at the Nou Camp with a signed shirt from the hat-trick hero.
Mbappe has been heavily linked with a move away from the French capital next summer when his contract expires, with Chelsea, Man United and Real Madrid expected to lead the chase.
But Arsene Wenger, speaking on BeIN Sports, said PSG should focus on keeping him and Neymar, rather than spending a fortune in trying to lure Messi to the Parc des Princes.
Source: Soccer - thesun.co.uk
