Former France and Barcelona defender Eric Abidal, in an interview with Telecomasia.net, spoke about PSG strikers Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé, saying it is wrong to compare the Argentine with Al-Nassr striker Cristiano Ronaldo.
- Can we say that Messi's last title marked a decisive end to the rivalry between Leo and Cristiano?
- We cannot compare these players because they are different. Both have played at a high level over the years and have fought side by side for the Ballon d'Or every year. We just have to respect them. I think they're both very talented and, above all, they're role models for the youngsters. Understandably, it's hard to perform at a high level for a long time, but sacrifice, hard work and talent are their recipe for success in football.
- Messi or Mbappé - who would you choose?
- These are two very different stories. Mbappé is at the beginning of his career, but he is already known as a talented and important footballer. Messi has been playing at the highest level for many years. He's proven that talent alone isn't enough to win. It takes more work. He is the best player in history, he has played many great games and won many titles. The only thing he was missing was the World Cup. I'd also like to wish Mbappé all the best as a player in the French national team and congratulate Messi on his career.
In 2022, Messi won the World Cup for the first time in his career at the Qatar Mundial. Mbappé and France finished second in the tournament, losing to Argentina (3-3, 2-4 on penalties). Ronaldo reached the quarterfinals with Portugal at the 2022 World Cup, where the team lost to Morocco (1-0).