Kylian Mbappe has suggested Erling Haaland isn’t on his level yet in a brand new, tell-all interview.
Mbappe and Haaland are considered the heir to Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo’s thrones as the world’s best players.
PSG superstar Mbappe recently spoke about Haaland in a chat with Esquire and hinted the Borussia Dortmund youngster is still a little bit behind him.
The 22-year-old said: “It is his second year, we are getting to know him. It is the beginning for him. I’m happy for him, for what he’s doing.”
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| Image Credit: PA |
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| Image Credit: PA |
Haaland has had one full campaign in the Bundesliga and scored 27 goals in 28 appearances last season.
A rivalry between the duo started to blossom earlier this year after Haaland’s comments during the Champions League.
The 21-year-old scored twice against Sevilla the day after Mbappe netted a hat-trick against Barcelona.
He then told Viaplay Fotball in a post-match interview that Mbappe motivated him with his performances.
Haaland admitted: “I love the Champions League and when I saw Mbappe score the hat-trick yesterday I got free motivation, so thanks to him.
.@ErlingHaaland: – When I saw Mbappé score the hat-trick yesterday I got free motivation, so thanks to him.
🤷♂️ pic.twitter.com/1dh0cpJ3Wt
— Viaplay Fotball (@ViaplayFotball) February 17, 2021
“I saw Mbappe yesterday, he scored some nice goals and I got a good boost from him.”
Both players have been linked with big-money transfers this summer but are likely to stay with their current clubs.
Mbappe, whose current deal with PSG expires in 2022, isn’t short of confidence and believes he can play anywhere in attack.
“I have played up front, I have played on the left and on the right,” he continued. “In all humility, I don’t think everyone is capable of changing positions like this every year and maintaining a great performance at the highest level.
“That did not fall from the sky. If I talk about the baggage that they gave me in adolescence, it’s all there.
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“I have managed to work on my weak points, but above all to perfect my strengths, because they have always told me that it is through your strengths that you are going to win.”
He did concede that he’s nowhere near the level of Messi and Ronaldo yet however.
Mbappe spoke of the two players with upmost respect and called them ‘incomparable.’
“Everybody knows. If you tell yourself that you will do better than them, it goes beyond ego or determination: it is lack of awareness,” he stressed.
“Those players are incomparable. They have broken all the laws of statistics. They have had ten, fifteen extraordinary years.
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“You always compare yourself to the best in your sport, just as the baker compares himself to the best bakers around him. Who makes the best croissant, the best pain au chocolat?
“I watch the games of other great players to see what they do. I know how to do this, but can the other do it too? I think other players are watching me too. I think that pushes footballers to elevate their game.”
Mbappe has been linked with a move to Real Madrid all summer and he’s previously discussed his desires to play in Spain.
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