Kylian Mbappe has played alongside Lionel Messi for the Ligue 1 club Paris Saint-Germain (PSG). The duo shared the dressing room for a decent number of games together. Messi however left PSG to play for MLS club Inter Miami, whereas Mbappe continues to be a PSG player.
The PSG number seven Kylian Mbappe has so far played 275 matches for the Ligue 1 side. He has scored 227 goals for them in his career till now. The player has further assisted 99 goals in all his games for the club. On the other hand, Lionel Messi represented Les Parisiens in a total number of 75 matches, scoring 32 goals and assisting 35 during his stint in France.
As per a recent report (by Telefoot), Mbappe had something to say about his former teammate Lionel Messi. The 25-year-old reportedly inflicted on his own development as a player and stated – “Even the greatest had to change some things. I played with Messi, for example, and Messi changed the way he played and was not the same in Barcelona as he was in Paris”.
Kylian Mbappé: “My development as a player? Even the greatests had to change some things. I played with Messi, for example, and Messi changed the way he played and was not the same in Barcelona as he was in Paris. This is the thing that allowed him to continue winning the World… pic.twitter.com/La84Tbj0xH
— All About Argentina 🛎🇦🇷 (@AlbicelesteTalk) November 19, 2023
The France international further termed it as the reason behind Leo’s success and expressed – “This is the thing that allowed him (Messi) to continue winning the World Cup and continue achieving team and individual awards”, Kylian reportedly asserted.
The PSG forward also played with Lionel Messi in the holistic FIFA World Cup 2022 final. The duo went neck-to-neck in the final match of the tournament. Despite Mbappe scoring a hat trick, Leo had the last laugh as Argentina beat France in the penalty shootout to lift the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappe on Lionel Messi’s eighth Ballon d’Or win
The 25-year-old France forward has stated that Leo “deserved” the Ballon d’Or 2023. Reports term that the Les Paisiens’ number seven inflicted the Argentinian as “the best in history”. Kylian expressed that Leo’s World Cup triumph made him the deserved recipient of the Ballon d’Or.
The 25-year-old stated – “Messi deserves it. When Messi wins the World Cup, Messi has to win the Ballon d’Or”. He went on and declared – “He’s (Messi) one of the best players in history, if not the best”. The PSG forward was himself among the nominees for the 2023 edition of the Ballon d’Or.
However, these statements from the France international will be an aspiring one for fans around the world to know. The World Cup runner-up didn’t feel shy to show his respect and admiration for his former PSG teammate Lionel Messi.