Kylian Mbappe has been told that he “doesn’t lace” Lionel Messi ’s boots ahead of the World Cup Final in Qatar.
Argentina became the first side to book their place in the showpiece with a straight-forward 3-0 victory over Croatia - Messi turning in a sensational performance with a goal and an assist. Meanwhile, they were followed by France on Wednesday evening with the reigning world champions having found a route past surprise package Morocco.
Goals from Theo Hernandez and Randal Kolo Muani proved enough for Les Bleus to book their spot in their second consecutive World Cup Final.
Ahead of the clash, Mbappe and Messi are tied for the tournament’s Golden Boot having notched five goals between them in Qatar - albeit Messi having accumulated one more assist in his six outings so far.
The French forward has regularly been backed to be Messi’s successor on the world stage with the Argentina star now in the twilight of his career. However, former Chelsea wideman Damien Duff isn’t particularly convinced, having claimed that the former Barcelona star was far better than Mbappe is at his age.
Speaking to RTE, the former Ireland international said: “How good Messi is, the best version of Messi when he was 23, 24, 25 maybe, Mbappe doesn’t lace his boots.
“The best version of Messi, Mbappe still doesn’t touch Messi. That’s how good Messi was. That’s what I’m saying. The best version, when was that? When he was 23, 24. Messi is the best ever.”
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Ex-Premier League goalkeeper Shay Given then intervened with an amusing comment towards his fellow pundit. “That’s the most sense Damien’s spoken tonight,” he quipped.
Ahead of the World Cup Final, Argentina superstar Messi had some kind words for his opposite number and has predicted that the French forward will go on to be one of the best players in world football in the coming years.
Speaking to TUDN Mexico earlier this year, he said: “Kylian is a different player, a beast who is very strong in one-on-one, who goes into space, who is very fast, who scores a lot of goals.
"He is a complete player and he has proved it for years, and in the years to come, he will certainly be among the best.”
Heading into Sunday’s final, Mbappe has the chance to add a second World Cup winners’ medal to his collection at just the age of 23. Meanwhile, Messi will hope to claim his first at the age of 35 having been on the losing side to Germany during the 2014 edition in Brazil.
Should France run-out victors once more, they would become the first nation to successfully defend the World Cup since Brazil in 1962.
