Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe: The debate over the best football player of this generation often focuses on Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé. Both have shown incredible talent and dominate the game in their ways.
Lionel Messi is known for his amazing ball control, dribbling, and vision. His small size helps him move easily through tight spaces. He holds many records, including 8 Ballon d’Or awards and 4 Champions League titles. Messi has led Barcelona and Argentina to great success, including winning the World Cup.
Kylian Mbappé is famous for his speed, finishing, and ability to create chances. He has won several Ligue 1 titles with PSG and a World Cup with France. Seen as one of the best young players, Mbappé has the potential to become even greater.
The debate between Messi and Mbappé often comes down to personal opinion. Messi’s long-term success impresses many, while others are excited by Mbappé’s speed and future potential. Both players have made a huge impact on football and raised the level of the game.
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe
In this article, we compare Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé: Who is the Best Footballer Today?
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe All-Time Stats
Lionel Messi has scored over 850 goals in his career, while Kylian Mbappé has scored over 350. Messi is admired for his creativity and leads in assists, with over 400 compared to Mbappé’s 163.
Both are also excellent penalty takers, with Mbappé scoring over 40 penalties and Messi converting over 110.
Here are their all-time stats.
| TOTALS | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 1115 | 491 |
| Goals | 861 | 350 |
| Ratio | 0.77 | 0.73 |
| Assists | 417 | 163 |
| Penalty | 110 | 44 |
| Free Kick | 65 | – |
| Hat Tricks | 59 | 19 |
| Trophies | 46 | 16 |
| Ballon d’Or | 8 | – |
| European Golden Shoe | 6 | – |
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe Stats – Season 2023/2024 & 2024/2025
Here are the stats for Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé for the 2023/2024 and 2024/2025 seasons:
| Stat | Messi – 23/24 | Mbappe 24/25 |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 16 | 22 |
| Goals | 16 | 22 |
| Assists | 12 | 2 |
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe Goals, Assists & Trophies at Club Level
In their club careers, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have been remarkable. Messi has played 922 matches, scored 748 goals, made 356 assists, and won 40 trophies.
Mbappé, on the other hand, has played 394 matches, scored over 300 goals, made 128 assists, and won 13 trophies. Messi leads in trophies, goals, and assists, Mbappé is a younger player, and many believe he could break Messi’s records shortly.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 922 | 405 |
| Goals | 742 | 302 |
| Assists | 356 | 128 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 101′ | 99′ |
| Minutes Played | 74.382” | 28.965” |
| Trophies | 40 | 13 |
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe Goals, Assists & Trophies at National Level
In their national team careers, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have been impressive, though Messi has a slight edge. Mbappé has played 86 matches, scored 48 goals, made 35 assists, and won 3 trophies.
Messi, on the other hand, has played 189 matches, scored 112 goals, made 60 assists, and won 6 trophies. Messi leads in both goals and trophies.
Messi’s major achievements with his national team include winning the World Cup, 2 Copa Americas, an Olympic medal, and the Finalissima. Meanwhile, Mbappé has won the World Cup, the UEFA Nations League, and the UEFA European Under-19 Championship.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 189 | 86 |
| Goals | 112 | 48 |
| Assists | 60 | 35 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 142′ | 137′ |
| Minutes Played | 15.488′ | 6.552′ |
| Trophies | 6 | 3 |
Who’s More Impressive in the World Cup? Goals, Assists & Trophies
When it comes to World Cup performances, Lionel Messi has a stronger record than Kylian Mbappé.
Messi has scored 13 goals in five World Cups, while Mbappé has scored 12. Messi also has 8 assists, compared to Mbappé’s 3.
Although Messi leads in goals and assists, both players are World Cup winners and have delivered outstanding performances on football’s biggest stage.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 26 | 14 |
| Goals | 13 | 12 |
| Assists | 8 | 3 |
| Penalty | 4 | 2 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 178′ | 94′ |
| Minutes Played | 2.315′ | 1.131′ |
| World Cup | 1 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in COPA AMERICA/EURO? Goals, Assists & Trophies
When comparing Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé in the UEFA European Championship (EURO) and Copa América, there are notable differences.
Lionel Messi has scored 13 goals and made 5 assists in six Copa América tournaments. He has won the Copa América twice, in 2021 and 2024.
In contrast, Mbappé has scored 1 goal and made 4 assists in 1 EURO tournament, reaching the semi-finals in EURO 2024.
Mbappé’s success in European competitions may grow as he plays more tournaments, while Messi’s record highlights his dominance in South American football.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 39 | 9 |
| Goals | 14 | 1 |
| Assists | 18 | 4 |
| Penalty | 3 | 1 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 238′ | 855′ |
| Minutes Played | 3.334” | 855′ |
| EURO/COPA AMERICA | 2 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in the Champions League? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In the UEFA Champions League, Lionel Messi has scored 129 goals in 163 matches and leads in assists with 45. He has won the Champions League 4 times with Barcelona (in 2006, 2009, 2011, and 2015).
Kylian Mbappé has scored 49 goals in the competition but has not won a title yet. He now plays for Real Madrid, and many experts believe he could win the Champions League with them in the future.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 163 | 74 |
| Goals | 129 | 49 |
| Assists | 45 | 26 |
| Penalty | 18 | 6 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 105′ | 121′ |
| Minutes Played | 13.577” | 5.943′ |
| Champions League | 4 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in La Liga? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In La Liga, Lionel Messi has set impressive records. He scored 474 goals in 520 matches, averaging about 0.91 goals per match. He also provided 216 assists and won 10 La Liga titles with Barcelona.
Kylian Mbappé is new to La Liga, having played only 15 matches and scored 9 goals with Real Madrid. Many believe he could achieve great records in Spain, similar to Messi and Ronaldo.
Messi’s overall contribution and success in La Liga underscore his remarkable career in Spanish football.
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 520 | 15 |
| Goals | 474 | 9 |
| Assists | 216 | 1 |
| Penalty | 60 | 2 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 89′ | 147′ |
| Minutes Played | 42.148′ | 1.285′ |
| La Liga | 10 | – |
Who’s More Impressive in Ligue 1? Goals, Assists & Trophies?
In Ligue 1, both Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have achieved impressive records. They both played for PSG, winning several titles and scoring many goals.
Here’s a summary of their Ligue 1 records:
| Stat | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Matches | 58 | 246 |
| Goals | 22 | 191 |
| Assists | 31 | 74 |
| Penalty | – | 20 |
| Minutes Per Goal | 227′ | 95′ |
| Minutes Played | 4.994′ | 18.219′ |
| Serie A/Ligue 1 | 2 | 2 |
Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappé Matches Against Each Other
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappé have faced each other 4 times across various competitions, with Mbappé generally having the edge. Mbappé won 2 of those encounters, Messi won 1, and there was 1 draw. Mbappé has scored 9 goals in these matchups, while Messi has scored 4 goals.
| Matches | Messi W | D | Mbappe W | Messi G | Mbappe G |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 | 1 | 1 | 2 | 4 | 9 |
Who Has More Trophies?
Lionel Messi has an edge over Kylian Mbappé in terms of total trophies won. Messi has 46 trophies in his career, which include 10 La Liga titles, 4 UEFA Champions League titles, and 7 Copa del Rey victories. His international honors are the Copa América (2021, 2024), the World Cup (2022), and the Finalissima (2022).
Mbappé has won 16 trophies, including 6 Ligue 1 titles, 4 Champions Trophy titles, and 2 Leagues Cup titles. His international achievements include the UEFA Nations League (2021) and the World Cup (2018).
| Competition | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| UEFA European Under-19 Championship | – | 1 |
| UEFA Nations League | – | 1 |
| UEFA Champions League | 4 | – |
| FIFA Club World Cup | 3 | – |
| La Liga | 10 | – |
| Copa del Rey | 7 | – |
| Spanish Super Cup | 8 | – |
| UEFA Super Cup | 3 | 1 |
| Ligue 1 | 2 | 6 |
| Champions Trophy | 1 | 4 |
| Leagues Cup | 1 | 2 |
| Supporters’ Shield | 1 | – |
| FIFA World Youth Championship | 1 | – |
| Olympic Games | 1 | – |
| FIFA World Cup | 1 | 1 |
| Copa America | 2 | – |
| Finalissima | 1 | – |
| TOTAL | 46 | 16 |
Who Has More Individual Awards?
Lionel Messi has won more individual awards than Kylian Mbappé. Messi has claimed the Ballon d’Or 8 times, the FIFA World Player of the Year 4 times, and the UEFA Best Player in Europe Award 3 times. He has also won the Golden Shoe 6 times as Europe’s top scorer.
In comparison, Mbappé has won the Player of the Year award 5 times, the UEFA Best Player in Europe award 4 times, and the FIFA World Cup Golden Ball once.
Messi has a total of 69 individual awards, while Mbappé has 32. This highlights Messi’s slight edge in individual honors.
| Awards | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| The Best FIFA Men’s Player | 4 | – |
| Player of the Year | 9 | 5 |
| Ballon d’Or | 8 | – |
| European Golden Shoe | 6 | – |
| UEFA Best Player in Europe | 3 | 4 |
| Top Goalscorer | 23 | 13 |
| TM-Player of the season | 4 | 5 |
| Olympic Medalist | 1 | – |
| Footballer of the Year | – | 3 |
| Pichichi Trophy | 8 | – |
| FIFA Puskas Award | – | |
| FIFA World Cup Golden Ball | 2 | 1 |
| FIFA World Cup Silver Ball | 1 | 1 |
| TOTAL | 69 | 32 |
Who Scores More Penalty Goals?
Lionel Messi has scored more penalty goals than Kylian Mbappé.
Messi has taken 141 penalties, scoring 110 and missing 31, giving him a success rate of 78%.
Mbappé has taken 54 penalties, scoring 44 and missing 10, with a success rate of 81%.
| Penalty | Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|---|
| Total Penalty Taken | 141 | 55 |
| Total Penalty Scored | 110 | 45 |
| Total Penalty Missed | 31 | 10 |
| Success Rate | 78% | 81% |
Who Scores More Free Kick Goals?
Lionel Messi is known for his incredible precision in free kicks, having scored around 65 free-kick goals in his career. In comparison, Kylian Mbappé has not scored any free-kick goals yet.
| Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|
| 65 | – |
Who Has More Hat Tricks?
Lionel Messi has more hat tricks than Kylian Mbappé. Messi has scored 59 hat-tricks, while Mbappé has around 22.
| Messi | Mbappe |
|---|---|
| 59 | 22 |
Who’s the Better Passer?
Lionel Messi is generally considered the better passer due to his higher number of assists, creativity, and precision.
Mbappé’s passing is strong, particularly in fast-paced situations, but Messi’s overall passing ability is more comprehensive.
Who’s the Best Dribbler?
Lionel Messi is generally considered the better dribbler due to his superior control, balance, and ability to maneuver through tight spaces.
Mbappé’s dribbling is also exceptional, particularly in terms of speed and directness, but Messi’s overall dribbling skill and creativity give him the edge.
Who Has the Best Heading Skills?
Kylian Mbappé is generally considered to have better heading skills compared to Lionel Messi.
Mbappé’s height, athleticism, and timing give him an edge in aerial situations, whereas Messi’s strengths lie more in his technical and dribbling abilities.
Who Is Faster?
Kylian Mbappé is generally considered the faster player compared to Lionel Messi.
Mbappé’s top speed and acceleration give him an edge in terms of outright speed.
Messi, while incredibly quick and agile, relies more on his dribbling and close control rather than sheer sprinting speed.
Who’s the Ultimate Winner?
Right now, Lionel Messi is often called the “ultimate winner” because of his many achievements, awards, and impact on football.
But Kylian Mbappé could become an ultimate winner too if he keeps up his success.
We think Messi is the GOAT, and Mbappé might be the future GOAT.