How does Mbappe compare to Messi at 24?

Daniel Edwards

• 20 Dec 2022 08:11 GMT
• 4 min read

The 2022 World Cup final was a showcase for not one, but two generational talents on either side of the pitch.

Argentina wizard Lionel Messi was rightly the centre of attention as he finally got his hands on that much-coveted trophy, capping a tournament where he netted a personal-best seven goals and also received his second Golden Ball.

But even in defeat, Kylian Mbappe also soaked up the plaudits after becoming only the second man to net a World Cup hat-trick and lifting the Golden Boot for his eight-goal haul, the best since Ronaldo in 2002.

Eleven years Messi's junior, the France striker looks set to inherit his mantle as the world's finest player. But how do the two superstars compare at 24?

Kylian Mbappé at 24 or Lionel Messi at 24 🎂

Who's better? 🤔 pic.twitter.com/yHsXReZVPh

— Football Transfers (@Transfersdotcom) December 19, 2022

Messi turned 24 back in June 2011, while his PSG team-mate celebrates his birthday on Tuesday. Both men accomplished so much at such a young age, with each marked already at that point as a future great.

FootballTransfers takes a deep dive, looking at each of the trio's stats on the day they turned 23.

Mbappe enjoys a phenomenal scoring record both for club and country, outstripping even Messi on each's 24th birthday.

Perhaps more of a surprise is that Mbappe also comfortably surpasses his PSG colleague when it comes to providing goals, though Messi's assist rate did pick up in the years following his 24th birthday.

It should come as no shock to discover that both players have been highly decorated. Mbappe was a World Cup winner at 19, while Messi had three Champions League medals by the time he turned 24 - a competition the France man is still waiting to lift.

The Argentine had already lifted two Ballon d'Or titles and was well on the way to a third when he celebrated his 24th birthday. Mbappe will one day get his, too, but after Messi's World Cup heroics he might have to be patient for one more year at least.

A slight edge here for Mbappe, perhaps influenced by the hectic international calendar of the last two years.

What next?

Mbappe's immediate future remains with PSG and Messi, though just how long he will stay at Parc des Princes even after that massive contract renewal is still up in the air.

With growing speculation this will be Messi's last year at the club he is primed to take the starring role should he stay, and there is no doubt that he will soon be back too in the decisive stages of the World Cup following his disappointment in 2022.