Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi are undoubtedly two of the greatest soccer players in the world. While Messi has been performing on the biggest of stages for almost two decades now, Kylian Mbappe is fairly new to the world of soccer by comparison.
The Argentine Captain has achieved cult status in world soccer. He has been dribbling, scoring, assisting, and winning long before Mbappe started his senior professional soccer career.
However, the 23-year-old Frenchman is certainly one of the World’s best players at this point. He is one of the quickest men on the pitch when he’s playing. The Frenchman scores a lot of goals too, and his assist numbers aren’t too bad either. He also lifted the first World Cup of his career four years before Lionel Messi managed to win it.
2001: Ronaldinho signed for PSG ✍️
2002: He won the World Cup 🏆2017: Mbappe signed for PSG ✍️
2018: He won the World Cup 🏆2021: Messi signed for PSG ✍️
2022: He’s in a World Cup final 🏆 pic.twitter.com/XrJ0LwdBp8— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 14, 2022
Messi and Mbappe have been playing as teammates in the world’s most decorated club soccer team currently – Paris Saint-Germain. Messi left Barcelona to join the Paris club in 2021 and Mbappe has been playing for the club since 2018.
In their time on the pitch as attacking teammates, the pair have developed a decent relationship. However, off the pitch, they are not the best of friends.
There may be several reasons behind this, however, the most prominent ones include the following.
Kylian Mbappe, by several accounts, has been a fan of Cristiano Ronaldo since he was a little kid. As such, he may be naturally distant from the man who is a direct rival to his idol in the age-old “GOAT debate.”
Idol 👑🐐… @Cristiano pic.twitter.com/uZGEXnhuUB
— Kylian Mbappé (@KMbappe) October 11, 2020
Ex-PSG center-back Abdou Diallo, who has spent some time with Mbappe in the dressing room, told Daily Mail in an interview that for Mbappe, “Ronaldo is everything. If you mention Lionel Messi versus Cristiano, Mbappe will debate with you for at least an hour. For him, Cristiano is untouchable.”
Other than that, another potential cause of friction between the duo could be Argentina’s last outing against France in the round of 16 of the 2018 FIFA World Cup. In this game, Messi assisted twice while Mbappe scored twice. Memories of Argentina’s elimination from the World Cup after losing 4-3 to eventual winners France, might still be fresh.
13’—France 1-0 Argentina
41’—France 1-1 Argentina
48’—France 1-2 Argentina
57’—France 2-2 Argentina
64’—France 3-2 Argentina
68’—France 4-2 Argentina
90+3’—France 4-3 ArgentinaIt was 𝐰𝐢𝐥𝐝 when these two met in the last 16 of the 2018 World Cup 🍿 pic.twitter.com/VIuCJxTnNJ
— B/R Football (@brfootball) December 14, 2022
Lastly, Mbappe’s recent comments on South American soccer and how it is “not as developed as European soccer”, also is sure to have caused tension.
“Argentina and Brazil don’t have that level of competition in South America, the football is not as developed as in Europe, that is why most recent World Cup winners have been Europeans,” Mbappe had said.
Mbappe on South American football.
Happy Argentina won 🏆 pic.twitter.com/9RyQODVse6
— Edmund 💉||World Champion 🏆 (@EdmundOris) December 19, 2022
“Many times we talked about that in Spain ‘You don’t know how difficult it would be for you to qualify for the World Cup if you had to go there, at altitude, in the heat, in Venezuela,'” was Messi’s response.
Naturally, this could have caused some friction between the pair, further affecting their prospects of developing a relationship off the pitch.
Lionel Messi hugs Kylian Mbappe after World Cup win
As is visible in this picture shared by renowned sports journalist Fabrizio Romano, Messi and Mbappe did embrace each other with a hug after the World Cup Final.
Best football game ever. The best sport in the world. UNBELIEVABLE. pic.twitter.com/nOB39pmsgY
— Fabrizio Romano (@FabrizioRomano) December 18, 2022
Fans of both soccer players took to social media to praise both players for this gesture.
“This is a sign of great sportsmanship from both players,” one fan said.
The picture serves as a reminder to fans that soccer players are professionals above all else. Their responsibility, first and foremost, lies with their team, be it domestic or international.
This game. The picture of Mbappe and Messi hugging or shaking hands at the end of this game will live forever
— Time🕒 (@Marquel_Martin) December 18, 2022
As such, fans can expect Messi and Mbappe to behave professionally once they are back in the same dugout in Paris.
Moreover, this is not going to be the first instance of rivals playing together on the same side professionally. Over the years, soccer fans have witnessed El Classico rivals in Barcelona and Real Madrid players, playing professionally in the Spanish national side. The same example of players of Manchester United, Liverpool, Chelsea, Arsenal, Manchester City, and other clubs of the Premier League, playing professionally for the English national side may be cited.
Argentina’s goalkeeper Emiliano Martínez insults Mbappe
Argentina’s goalkeeper, Emiliano Martinez, has made headlines for both good, and bad reasons this World Cup campaign. He has been significant in goal for La Albiceleste, helping them immensely in the penalty shootouts against the Netherlands where he saved two. He was also sharp yesterday when he denied Kingsley Coman, which eventually led to the Argentine triumph.
However, after the game was over and the Argentine squad was back in their dressing room, Martinez disrespected Kylian Mbappe.
Apparently, Mbappe’s comments about South American soccer did not go down well with the Aston Villa goalkeeper.
“A minute of silence for … Mbappe!” 😅
Emiliano Martinez during Argentina’s dressing room celebration.
(via nicolasotamendi30/Instagram) pic.twitter.com/dwm3IrUNWG
— ESPN FC (@ESPNFC) December 18, 2022
As the squad was celebrating the World Cup victory, Martinez halted the celebrations. He then proceeded to say: “A moment of silence for…. Mbappe”.
Fans on the internet have been divided in this respect. Some fans have joined Martinez in mocking Kylian Mbappe’s 6-month-old comments. Others, have found it to be a second count of disrespect, the first being the disrespectful gesture that the 30-year-old keeper made with the Golden Glove trophy.