MBAPPE ON TOP?
French star is surely next greatest on the planet
NIZHNY NOVGOROD — There’ll be football after Cristiano Ronaldo.
The sport will endure Lionel Messi’s inevitable departure, too.
It appears the former already has made his penultimate move before, perhaps, one final act in Major League Soccer. We’re still years away from that decision, though. Just like we’re years away from Messi calling it a career.
For years it has been Ronaldo, Messi and everybody else. Neymar’s antics have killed off any hope of himself being their successor.
No, the “greatest player on the planet” debate has centred around just two players for a decade.
No other player has claimed a Ballon d’Or since 2007, the year Brazil’s Kaka beat out the aforementioned duo.
Ronaldo and Messi haven’t just been good. They’ve achieved whatever level sits above world class.
It made the prospect of a Portugal-Argentina quarterfinal meeting here in Nizhny all the more mouthwatering.
Instead, a city curiously called the “Russian Detroit” had to settle for France-Uruguay.
But while viewers here had anticipated a glimpse at Messi, Ronaldo or both players, the consolation prize could be even better.
French teen Kylian Mbappe’s performance at this World Cup has fuelled questions concerning where his name sits among the game’s elite.
The other question, of course, is one we’ve avoided for a decade: How much longer should Messi and Ronaldo be referred to as the best in the world?
Forget, for a moment, everything Messi has accomplished in this game. Forget the highlight-reel goals and his legacy — none of which is doubted.
Look beyond the fact the Barcelona legend was in a league that, while not necessarily his own, included just one other player for so long.
But this World Cup has shown the gap between the best players in the world and the rest has closed.
Messi’s perceived disinterest — or disillusion — at this tournament raised questions about his mindset. He produced one special moment here in Russia.
Approaching 34 years old, Ronaldo has been forced to adapt his game, according to coach Fernando Santos. It was clear for everyone to see.
It also paved the way for Mbappe to become more than a breakout star at this tournament. The conversation now includes whether he’s the best player in the world — or at least whether or not he will be.
If you tuned-in to Les Bleus’ Round of 16 win over Argentina you couldn’t miss the moment the world realized Mbappe possesses speed we’ve arguably never seen on football pitch.
Multiple reports suggested he was clocked at speeds akin to Usain Bolt’s 100-metre time during his coast-to-coast run against Messi’s Argentina.
That said, it’s not just Mbappe’s world-class top-end speed that makes him special. It’s that he does it in combination with so many other things.
He’s the perfect footballer, in many ways, a 19-year-old who combines open field speed with a two- or threestep burst that’s just as special.
He’s not Messi with the ball at his feet, but Mbappe certainly is at or above Ronaldo’s level.
If there isn’t space to utilize his speed he has the ability to unbalance defenders.
The sample size might be small, but he’s also shown an ability to score.
What’s more, it’s impossible to not get behind a player who will reportedly donate all of his World Cup winnings and appearance cheques to a charity that helps disabled children play football.
A 19-year-old in contention for this Word Cup’s Golden Ball also looks likely to become one of the most expensive players ever if Monaco gets the transfer fee Mbappe’s talent commands.
French coach Didier Deschamps pointed out ahead of Friday’s quarterfinal that Uruguay “pretty much” hasn’t conceded since last year.
It’s true. The South Americans have pitched nine clean sheets in their previous 13 fixtures — a statistic that would only make Mbappe’s continued success all the more impressive.
It makes you wonder if the conversation surrounding the best young player in the world is going to take another turn.
At what point will he supplant Messi and Ronaldo — two players who have dominated this sport since Mbappe was nine years old.