Real Madrid superstar Kylian Mbappé has shared the pitch with some of the greatest footballers of this generation. From teaming up with Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi at Paris Saint-Germain to lining up alongside stars like Vinícius Junior, Jude Bellingham, and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Bernabéu, he has seen it all.
However, according to the French forward, the player who left the most profound impression on him during training was none other than eight-time Ballon d’Or winner Lionel Messi.
Speaking on the popular show The Bridge, the 27-year-old fondly recalled a moment that proved just how effortlessly brilliant Messi was during their time together in Paris, playfully admitting that the Argentine legend unknowingly upstaged both him and Neymar.
“Messi is ridiculous,” Mbappé declared. “He does everything right.”
An Unforgettable Training Ground Story
Setting the scene, Mbappé explained that it was near the end of a regular training session at PSG. At the time, both he and Neymar were widely considered to be at the absolute peak of world football.
“We were finishing up,” Mbappé recalled. “[Messi] just came in and took ten shots. Me and Ney, out of 10 shots, we scored six or seven. He shot nine times and scored the exact same goal nine times.”
What stood out most to Mbappé wasn’t just the sheer accuracy, but the complete lack of physical exertion. “It was the end of practice. He’s a little tired, and he was just passing the ball into the net, like he wasn’t even shooting. He was just passing it to the net.”
A PSG Legacy and Potential 2026 World Cup Reunion
During their stint together in the French capital, the superstar attacking trio of Messi, Neymar, and Mbappé secured three trophies, including two Ligue 1 titles. However, the star-studded frontline ultimately fell short of sky-high expectations on the European stage, failing to capture the elusive Champions League.
With Messi now playing his club football for Inter Miami in MLS, the chances of the two crossing paths again in domestic competition are slim. However, fans are eagerly anticipating a potential reunion on the international stage this summer at the 2026 World Cup.
If both France and Argentina top their respective groups and successfully navigate the knockout rounds, the two heavyweights could clash in the final—setting the stage for a spectacular, high-stakes rematch of their unforgettable 2022 showdown in Qatar.
