Kylian Mbappe won’t ever be as good as some of the greatest players in the history of the game, such as Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona, according to a recent scathing analysis by sports columnist Graeme Souness.
At the Qatar World Cup, Mbappe has been in scintillating form as usual, and his five goals so far have propelled his team to a second straight championship game.
The penultimate matchup between France and Argentina will take place on Sunday, and Mbappe will have the chance to surpass club teammate Lionel Messi.
Given that they both have five goals, the two are also vying for the Golden Boot.
Because of the 23-year-old’s exploits on the pitch for both club and country, it is expected that comparisons have started to be drawn between himself and the likes of Messi and five-time Ballon d’Or winner Cristiano Ronaldo.
Amid suggestions that the GOAT mantle will be passed down to Mbappe, Souness, who is known for his cut-throat analyses, begged to differ. In his Daily Mail column, the analyst claimed Mbappe was heavily reliant on one trait for his brilliance –pace.
“I really don’t think we’ll be putting that 23-year-old in the same bracket as Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo, Pele and Diego Maradona, ten years from now.” He said.
“The biggest asset Mbappe has is that explosive power but this is as good as it will get for him. He won’t get quicker as he ages. Only slower. The big question, going forwards, can he modify his game as that pace diminishes?
Souness further suggested Mbappe having ‘so much power’ at Paris Saint Germain at only 23 will end up working against him in the long run.
“How on earth can it be right for a 23-year-old to have that power? I’m sorry if you think this old-fashioned, but that is just not a healthy environment for any young player’s professional development and improvement.” He went on.