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Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappé has identified former Paris Saint-Germain teammate Lionel Messi as the most impressive player he has ever witnessed in training, supporting his claim with one remarkable anecdote.
The 27-year-old has shared the field with some of the finest players of his generation during his time at PSG and now Real Madrid. Mbappé lined up alongside current Ballon d'Or holder Ousmane Dembélé and Achraf Hakimi in Paris before teaming up with the likes of Vinicius Junior, Jude Bellingham and Trent Alexander-Arnold at the Bernabéu.
Yet none of those high-profile names left a mark on the Frenchman quite like Messi—not even Neymar. "Messi is ridiculous," Mbappé said on The Bridge. "He does everything right."
He then launched into a story from his PSG days, recounting a specific moment in which the Argentine unwittingly put both Mbappé and Neymar in their place.
Mbappé Reveals Impressive Messi Training Story
"We were in Paris, wrapping up a session," Mbappé recalled of a training day at PSG. "And at that point, me and Ney were considered among the very best in world football.
"[Messi] just walked in and took ten shots. Me and Ney, out of 10 attempts, we scored six or seven. He shot nine times and put the ball in the exact same spot nine times.
"It was the end of training. He was a little tired, [and] he was just rolling the ball into the net—like he wasn't even shooting, just passing it in.
"I looked over at the goalkeeper and said, 'Did you not get it?'" Mbappé concluded, laughing.
The trio of Messi, Neymar and Mbappé claimed three trophies together during their stint at PSG, among them two Ligue 1 championships. Nevertheless, despite such a formidable attacking lineup, the club consistently fell short of expectations in Europe, never lifting the Champions League—a milestone the club eventually reached in 2024–25, the very first season following Mbappé's departure to Real Madrid.
Is There a Messi, Mbappé Reunion Coming at the 2026 World Cup?
After Messi departed PSG following the 2022–23 campaign to join MLS outfit Inter Miami, the chances of him and Mbappé ever sharing a club pitch again became virtually impossible. However, the stars could align for France and Argentina to collide on the global stage once more this summer.
Should both World Cup contenders advance from their respective groups, they would not cross paths until a potential final—a rematch of the spectacular showdown in Qatar, a game widely considered one of the greatest matches ever played.
La Albiceleste are aiming to successfully defend their crown while Didier Deschamps's side are chasing the ultimate redemption. If the latest FIFA world rankings are any indication, the governing body gives France the edge over Messi and company.