Is Kylian Mbappe the Next GOAT?

Cover Image - https://www.goal.com/en-gb/news/watch-mbappe-argentina-two-goals-two-minutes-france-world-cup-final/bltfcfea836107d7f12 

2022 was host to the greatest ever World Cup tournament hosted in this current generation and arguably in the entire history of all previous World Cup tournaments. Matches with unexpected twists and turns, the dark horses Morrocco stamping down their legacy and of course arguably the greatest ever match played in football history - the world cup final between Argentina and France. Going the full distance in an enthralling 3-3 draw, Argentina and Lionel Messi finally crowned the trophy they have longed for for 36 years.

(Image Credit - Julian Finney / Getty Images - https://www.nbcnews.com/news/world/live-blog/world-cup-final-live-updates-rcna62130) 

Of course, Lionel Messi, who has cemented himself as arguably the greatest footballer that has ever lived, made the headlines for his legacy, desire and performance in the final. Despite this, another rising top talent, Kylian Mbappe was ever so close to stealing that limelight despite being on the losing side in the final. A talented player who already has World Cup success at the mere age of 19, Mbappe once again reminded the world that he is the new number 1 for many years to come. 

Mbappe, who is still only 23 years of age, was the man the French national team pinned their hopes on when entering this tournament. The French team were hit with many injuries to key players such as Pogba, Benzema, Kante, Nkunku, Kimpembe and many others. Thus, the symbol of hope was placed upon the young yet very experienced shoulders of Mbappe. To have such responsibility at just 23 for the national team already credits his already outstanding legacy he has created in football so far. However, it must be said despite the injury list for France, their squad depth is still world-class with experienced winners such as Griezmann, Giroud, and Varane still the spine for the French team.

At the tournament, he finished as the golden boot winner with 8 goals and joined the most in goal involvements (10) with Messi. He is only 4 goals shy of being the record top-goalscorer at World Cups with Klose holding the record at 16 goals. Many great players have failed to make a lasting impression in the most prestigious tournament such as Neymar, Ronaldo and Messi until his triumph over Mbappe in the 2022 Final. But Mbappe has been in 2 tournaments and played in 2 finals. He's the top scorer in the World Cup finals with 4 goals. He has managed to score a hat trick in a world cup final - the first since 1966. Evidently, Mbappe seems to have records starting to follow him as the glittering careers of Messi and Ronaldo are starting to dwindle away.

At the Club level, his stats are second to none with 327 goal involvements in 298 games, as emphasised before he is only 23 years of age. These stats are world-class and only come around once or twice every generation. We have seen these crazy numbers done by Messi, Ronaldo and a select few others that includes Suarez and Neymar, thus it is clear to see that Mbappe has the tools necessary to dominate world football in the near future. However, he has yet to taste Champions League success, which is another prestigious award that only a select few can ever manage in their careers. Mbappe tasted defeat by Bayern Munich in 2020, but with his mentality and talent, it won't be too far away until we see him light up the Champions League stage as well.

There have been many young talents touted to be the next GOAT. Neymar from the last generation certainly had the talent to overtake Messi and Ronaldo but Neymar's longevity and mindset seem to have let him down in that pursuit. In the new generation players such as Halaand, Foden, Musiala, Vinicius Jr, Bellingham and others have all shown glimpses of something special but may lack longevity in their careers. Halaand will most likely challenge Mbappe the most in the next few years - at club level as Man City is currently seen as the favourites to win the Champions League. His stats are also equally as ridiculous in the goal-scoring sense, however, Mbappe is definitely more of a complete attacker with the excellent all-round attributes that will help him have the longevity of success that Messi and Ronaldo have had. 

Kylian Mbappe is definitely a player that can prove many people wrong and make that GOAT status his once he retires.