Lionel Messi showed his class at the very start of the World Cup. By scoring a hat-trick against Algeria, he seemed to demonstrate how effective he still is for his side at close to 39. After such a performance, praise for the forward is being heard from all sides, the latest from Kylian Mbappe.
Messi led Argentina to a big win over Algeria with a fine hat-trick in their first match. The wearer of the No. 10 jersey is the first name in the conversation in the Golden Boot race, alongside Mbappe, Harry Kane and Erling Haaland, all three of whom scored braces in their opening World Cup matches. These four are, so far, in the running for the Golden Boot.
Mbappe put Messi ahead of the four without hesitation. In an interview with The Guardian, the French star said: ‘Messi is the best of these four. It is clear. He is the best of the best, just like Cristiano Ronaldo.’
Praising Messi, Mbappe added: ‘He (Messi) has shown extraordinary quality for more than the past 15 years. There may be debate about the others, but that is a matter for journalists and fans. It is not on my mind. I just try to show my own performance.’
France lost the Qatar World Cup final to Argentina. Although the team could not win the title, Mbappe was outstanding individually, and the Golden Boot of that tournament went to him. But the forward said team success, not individual honours, came first for him: ‘I knew Messi would score, he always does. He is ahead of me. But I want to keep scoring for the team. Scoring can break records, but my goal is to win the World Cup.’
France take the field against Iraq in Group I at the World Cup tonight, in what will be Mbappe’s 100th international match. Even before such a match, his thoughts are with the team: ‘Playing for the national team is always something special. Playing the 100th match at the World Cup is historic. But the most important thing is taking the win.’
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