The 2026 FIFA World Cup group stage saw football's biggest stars shine, with Lionel Messi scoring a hat-trick for Argentina and Kylian Mbappe, Erling Haaland, and Harry Kane all scoring braces for their respective nations.
Mbappe, when asked to rank himself alongside Messi, Haaland, and Kane, had no hesitation in placing Messi at the top, and also included his idol, Cristiano Ronaldo, in the elite group.
Mbappe praised Messi's quality, saying, 'He's shown for 15 years that he has amazing quality. Me, I just try to do what I can do, show my quality on the biggest stage and help my team win another World Cup.'
France and Argentina will both be in action on Monday, with Messi and Mbappe continuing their pursuit of World Cup history. While Messi needs just one more goal to become the tournament's outright leading scorer, Mbappe is closing in rapidly.
