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Patrick Vieira has stated that Kylian Mbappe is a better player than Lionel Messi, following the French forward’s impressive performances for France at the 2026 World Cup.

Mbappe, who is captaining France, has led Les Bleus to the semi-finals where they will face Spain, and currently tops the race for the Golden Boot with eight goals so far in the tournament.

After a challenging season with Real Madrid, Mbappe appears to have rediscovered his best form under France manager Didier Deschamps. Speaking about the 27-year-old, Vieira drew comparisons between Mbappe and French football legend Thierry Henry, as well as Messi.

“It’s a fair comparison [between Kylian Mbappe and Thierry Henry],” Vieira told ITV Sport when discussing the two French stars. “They are the two greatest French No. 9s of all time.

“But Mbappe is faster with the ball at his feet. His goal against Morocco demonstrated that — there was no space, eight defenders around him, yet he still found a way to shoot and score.”

Vieira went on to add: “I believe Mbappe is the best player in the world right now; I would even place him ahead of Messi.”

When recently asked about comparisons between himself and Messi, Mbappe made it clear that his focus remains on helping France succeed.

“We’re trying to win and taking it one match at a time. Obviously, the more goals you score, the higher you rise in the rankings — that’s nothing new,” Mbappe said.

“I’m also sure that Leo (Messi) will score more goals. So I don’t think too much about that. My main focus is on the teams we might face next and how close we are to achieving our main goal — reaching the final.”