Lionel Messi finally has something Kylian MbappĂ© already had with a World Cup winners바카라 medal. Now MbappĂ© wants what Messi has won many times: the Ballon d바카라Or.
After their fascinating duel in a wild World Cup final, the tournament바카라s best player Messi and its top scorer MbappĂ© are firm front-runners to win the next men바카라s Ballon d바카라Or.
Call it Messi vs. MbappĂ© part II, and it continues Wednesday when the Paris Saint-Germain teammates face Angers in a French league game. Messi was given an extended break back home in Argentina after the World Cup, but has resumed full training and PSG coach Christophe Galtier hopes he바카라ll be ready to play.
Because they play for the same team, their rivalry could intensify over the rest of this season.
The 35-year-old Messi has won a record seven Ballon d바카라Or trophies given to the best player in Europe. Only five Frenchmen 바카라 including Zinedine Zidane and Karim Benzema 바카라 have won it but the 24-year-old MbappĂ© has never been on the podium.
Mbappe made his goals clear while at the ceremony when Benzema won: 바카라For me, of course it바카라s an objective to win one or many of them. But of course there바카라s a process to reach that. I think I바카라m on the right track.바카라
A challenger this time could be prolific Manchester City striker Erling Haaland, but he didn바카라t play at the World Cup 바카라 let alone star in it 바카라 after Norway failed to qualify.
MbappĂ© won the 2018 World Cup with France when he was just 19. Messi waited agonizingly long to get his hands on the Jules Rimet trophy, losing in the 2014 final. He did so in style last month, when Argentina beat France to win its third World Cup title in arguably the most intense final in the tournament바카라s 92-year history.
Messi바카라s two goals in the final capped a remarkable tournament where he scored seven times, finished as the best player, and reached a whopping 98 goals overall for Argentina.
The good news for Argentina fans is that he wants to play a little while longer wearing the Albiceleste jersey.
MbappĂ©, meanwhile, became only the second player to score a hat trick in a World Cup final and finished one ahead of Messi on eight goals as tournament바카라s top scorer 바카라 the first to reach that haul since Brazil바카라s Ronaldo in 2002.
MbappĂ©바카라s overall tally of 12 World Cup goals puts him level with Brazil great PelĂ© 바카라 and one behind Messi and Frenchman Just Fontaine, the single-tournament record holder with 13 in 1958.
Former West Germany striker Gerd Mueller (14), Ronaldo (15) and record holder Miroslav Klose of Germany (16) are well within MbappĂ©바카라s sights considering the young Frenchman may have three more World Cups ahead of him.
By the 2026 World Cup, MbappĂ© should also be well in front as France바카라s all-time leading men바카라s scorer. He currently has 36 goals and World Cup teammate Olivier Giroud leads Les Bleus with 53.
By the time the next World Cup comes around, Messi will be nearly 39 and perhaps retired from soccer altogether.
So the coast is clear for Mbappé to pulverize World Cup scoring records.
But before he starts thinking about that he has the pressing matter of a first Ballon d바카라Or to win, and it바카라s a tall order with Messi as his main rival. But what a treat in store for French soccer fans if they both keep raising their game.
Mbappé played for PSG 10 days after losing the final in Qatar, showing great determination to put that defeat behind him.
The Ballon d바카라Or race has the makings of a classic contest between the teammates, since they were both in fine form for PSG before heading to the World Cup.
Mbappé tops the league scoring charts with 13 goals and Messi is tied with PSG teammate Neymar for the most assists (10). Mbappé is co-top scorer in the Champions League with seven goals, while Messi again heads the assists chart with four.
Messi won the Champions League four times with former club Barcelona, where he became a superstar and scored 672 goals before joining PSG last season.
PSG has never won the Champions League and this could prove a key factor in Ballon d바카라Or consideration 바카라 especially if MbappĂ© leads the French giant to the European title.
If Messi doesn바카라t play Wednesday at home, PSG바카라s next game is at Rennes on Sunday.
바카라He had an extraordinary World Cup with a lot of physical effort and challenges,바카라 Galtier said. 바카라We hope he바카라s ready for (Angers).바카라
