Kylian Mbappé’s rapid start to his career could put him in contention to become the greatest footballer of all time.
This subject sparks debate among a number of stakeholders. Four men stand out from their peers in their respective eras.
Pele, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo. The players on football’s Mount Rushmore all played in similar positions along the front line. Yet they interpreted their roles differently depending on their skills and the tactical formations used.
Central midfielders, defenders and goalkeepers are mostly excluded from these debates. The reason is that their ability to influence a match tends to be a collective effort. Conversely, attacking midfielders, strikers and forwards score most of their team’s goals. Individuals can create the majority of a team’s chances, allowing for more individual brilliance.
Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are still strong players. However, their best days are in their dominant past. Instead, one of Lionel Messi’s teammates has the ability and potential to one day join the ‘GOAT’ debate.
Prodigious beginnings
Kylian Mbappé is already a legend. If his career ended today, Mbappé would be remembered as one of the greatest French players in the country’s history. In six seasons, he accomplished more than most players do in their careers. At the age of 23, he scored 26 goals for Blues and will most likely become their all-time top scorer. Next season, he could surpass Edison Cavani’s 200-goal mark. He thus becomes the top scorer in the history of Paris Saint-Germain. Mbappé currently has 171 scores for the Parisians.
Comparable statistics
The game has changed dramatically over the years. Players regularly change clubs and countries, which makes the statistics even more confusing. The fact that South American leagues and competitions do not necessarily align with European competitions makes things even more confusing. Regardless, there are some comparisons to be made between Pelé, Diego Maradona, Lionel Messi, Cristiano Ronaldo and a young Kylian Mbappé.
Club success
| National championship victories | National Cup victories | International Cup victories | |
| Pele | 17 | 4 | 4 |
| Maradona | 3 | 4 | 1 |
| Messi | 11 | 14 | ten |
| Ronaldo | 7 | 12 | 11 |
| Mbappé | 5 | 5 | 0 |
Pelé, Messi and Mbappé have success at one club, with the exception of Messi’s lone season in France and Pelé’s brief tenure with the New York Cosmos. International cups include things like the UEFA Cup, UEFA Champions League, Copa Libertadores. Additionally, there are competitions such as the FIFA Club World Cup, the UEFA Super Cup and even an Intercontinental Super Cup.
International success
| world Cup | Continental Cups | Small competitions | |
| Pele | 3 | 0 | 7 |
| Maradona | 1 | 0 | 1 |
| Messi | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Ronaldo | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Mbappé | 1 | 0 | 1 |
While representing their country, each of the five players enjoys success. Of course, the landscape of international football has changed over the 70 years of the game. Remarkably, Pelé and Maradona never won a Copa América.
Smaller competitions refer to things like the UEFA Nations League, Olympics, CONMEBOL-UEFA Champions Cup (Finalissime in 2022) and various small tournaments of Pelé and Brazil in the 1960s.
Individual success
| Golden Ball | Top scorer in the national championship | Best player of the year from his country of origin | |
| Pele | 7* | 14 | 1* |
| Maradona | 2* | 6 | 4 |
| Messi | 7 | 8 | 14 |
| Ronaldo | 5 | 5 | 4 |
| Mbappé | 0 | 4 | 2 |
There are too many rewards to hand out for these four players. Top scorers, top tournament players, most assists in a year, championship player of the year, Ballon d’Or at the World Cup or Continental Cup. This is simply a cursory overview of the illustrious careers of four of football’s greatest. Additionally, the table shows how much individual success Kylian Mbappé already has.
The Ballon d’Or ‘victories’ for Pelé and Diego Maradona are a retrospective. Until 1995, only Players born in Europe were eligible to receive the prize. In 2016, France Football announced who would have won the prize if it had been open to the world, and not just Europe, for each year since its creation.
Note that Brazil only started giving the Brazilian Footballer of the Year award in 1970, the only year Pelé won. Additionally, the prize is reserved only for Brazilian players. However, he remains the best comparison to the other players listed.
Peak performance
| Player | Best era | Strong points |
|---|---|---|
| Pele | 1957-1965, 1970 FIFA World Cup | Three World Cups, national success |
| Maradona | 1977-81, 1986-1990 | He single-handedly took Argentina to the 1986 World Cup |
| Messi | Copa America 2009-19, 2021 | Dominated Spanish football for a decade |
| Cristiano | Club season 2007-08, 2011-12, 2016-19 | Won regularly in three countries at the highest level |
| Mbappé | 2018-current | World Cup victory, brilliant talent |
Among the five categories, maximum performance is the most important. Many prefer consistency and longevity, which is understandable. But peak performance demonstrates the ability to rise above your competitors and reach heights that few people can achieve in the history of sports.
In football, the heights reached by Maradona between 1986 and 1990 are still unmatched. Pelé has played for legendary teams at club and international level. Cristiano and Messi played for some of the best clubs in football history. Maradona did not have this luxury at club or international level, but instead sent his teams to the top of the mountain.
Kylian Mbappé’s path to becoming the greatest of all time
“I want to win and win again. If you look at the world of football, there are a lot of great players and if you fall asleep, someone can take it away from you. I’m a lucky guy who plays for a big team at club and international level, but I don’t look back. I don’t think about what I won, my goal is to continue winning. I want to make football history,” Mbappé said after receiving the Best Player of the Year award at the 2021 Globe Soccer Awards.
His drive to become the best fuels his game. The first step to reaching football’s Mount Rushmore is to lead PSG to their first Champions League triumph in spectacular form. If he is able to do so, then he will become part of Pele and Maradona in a small group of elite players who have led their respective clubs to their first major continental silverware. Mbappé is already in an exclusive club with Pelé, they are currently the only teenagers to score in a FIFA World Cup final, which shows their precocity.
More French success
The next step for Kylian Mbappé to become one of the greatest of all time is to win more international hardware with France. Blues has the deepest player talent pool, so they are among the favorites in all competitions over the next decade.
The final step will be to leave France and challenge yourself in either the Premier League or La Liga. Among the five European “Great Leagues”, Ligue 1 is fifth. Although there is plenty of talent in the division, PSG are the heavy favorites every season due to their financial advantage in the country and in club football in general. The Ballon d’Or will eventually arrive because he is currently the best and most explosive player in the world.
Even though he has a long way to go, don’t be surprised if Mbappé joins the GOAT conversation.
In 2017, Maradona praised the French international to AS, a major Spanish newspaper.
“For me, Mbappé is the revelation of football. It seems to me that he can be better than a lot of players.
Including Maradona.
PHOTO: Matthias Hangst/Getty Images
