Kylian Mbappe continued to make a strong case to be among the greatest players in World Cup history after becoming the all-time leading scorer on world football's biggest stage.
The Frenchman has now scored 22 times since his debut in the 2018 tournament. While his country fell just short this summer, Mbappe was one of the best players at the World Cup.
But who does the 27-year-old rate as the best player to ever perform on the World Cup stage? Well, he ranked one man above his old Paris Saint-Germain teammate, Lionel Messi, when presented with six players to choose from.
Kylian Mbappe Ranks Himself Among World Cup Greats
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe (World Cup)REUTERS/Carl Recine
Ahead of the 2026 World Cup, YouTuber Fiago asked Mbappe to blind rank six World Cup legends from best to worst. While he initially didn't know which names he'd be presented with, the Real Madrid man did make his slight adjustments to give the list he was most happy with.
In sixth, he picked his compatriot, Michel Platini. Originally a place higher, Mbappe moved him down as his impact at the European Championship was greater. Ahead of him in fifth place, Mbappe selected himself, stating: "In the World Cup, I did more than Platini."
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Completing a trio of Frenchmen was Zinedine Zidane. One of the greatest midfielders in football history, Zizou was instrumental in his country's 1998 triumph, scoring twice against Brazil in the final.
Diego Maradona claimed third place in Mbappe's rankings. Star of the 1986 World Cup, the Argentine is among the game's greatest-ever players, never mind just on the biggest international stage. He'll forever be one of the most iconic World Cup players due to his world-class goals and performances, but also the chaos and controversy that followed the one-time champion around.
The top two would be incredibly close in a lot of people's minds. However, Mbappe didn't even hesitate in placing the only man to win the competition three times, Pele, above Messi.
The latter was the key man as Argentina added a third star in 2022, and he is now only one goal behind Mbappe in the all-time goalscoring standings after appearing in six World Cups.
Pele, however, is Mbappe's undisputed number one. He is Brazil's best player ever and the youngest World Cup winner ever, claiming his first at 17 years and 249 days before adding another two during his incredible career.
Kylian Mbappe's World Cup Legends (Ranked)
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Statistics in this article are courtesy of Transfermarkt. Correct as of 23-07-26.