‘Mbappe vs Haaland’ why can’t it just be Mbappe and Haaland - a future we can get behind
A future we can get behind…
As the Messi and Ronaldo book moves towards its final chapters, a new story is beginning to emerge and this one could be a bestseller.
The Messi vs Ronaldo debate feels old and boring at this point, it has been going on for over a decade and still nobody can really agree on the answer.
It has taken a while but there finally seems to be two young talents in Mbappe and Haaland who could threaten the reign of these two greats.
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A lot of this talk about Mbappe and Haaland resurfaced after both players took the European stage by storm last week.
Firstly, Mbappe scored the perfect hat-trick as PSG dismantled Messi’s Barcelona with class and ease.
Mbappe was at his best from early on and his final goal was a great example of counter-attacking football at it’s best and the net almost broke from the venom his put on his shot.
That goal put the game and tie to bed, it was PSG’s 4th away goal and if it wasn’t for Messi’s early penalty, it would have been a complete thrashing.
Haaland admitted on social media after Dortmund’s win that he took motivation from Mbappe’s hat-trick the night before.
Evidence then that they are already motivating each other to get one over their rival, in the same way Messi and Ronaldo have done for so long.
We’ve so often seen Ronaldo do something ridiculous one night and then the following night Messi will respond with something even more extraordinary or vice versa.
Haaland did respond, scoring twice in a 3-2 away victory against last season’s Europa League winners Sevilla.
Ronaldo was also on the losing team last week in Europe and like Messi, he was unable to inspire Juventus the way Mbappe and Haaland did.
“The Main Stage”
Haaland and Mbappe showcased that they are ready to take over from Messi and Ronaldo after over a decade of dominance at the top.
Messi and Ronaldo will hope to close their story off by ending the debate once and for all, surely by winning the World Cup next year.
However, once their arcs have been completed, Haaland and Mbappe will take to centre stage and they would appear to boast the biggest hopes of replicating something similar to the numbers Messi and Ronaldo have delivered year after year.
Yet there is already a debate starting on which of them is better or who has the greater potential.
I think this is the wrong attitude to take because yes Haaland’s numbers are currently superior but Mbappe is the more complete player and has achieved much more already in his career but playing for a better club and country.
So why not just enjoy these two very different players, playing for two nations and clubs with varying levels of quality and just enjoy it.
Let’s sit back and see how this book unfolds and appreciate the brilliance of both, instead of repeating what we did with Ronaldo and Messi.
Let’s not go into our separate camps like we belong to some cult but instead watch both of these exceptionally good talents take to the biggest stages and achieve great things.
That’s what I’ve done with Messi and Ronaldo as I’ve been fortunate enough to have grown up watching them go to war.
So many memorable battles between the two in Ronaldo’s La Liga days.
I remember at the height of Barcelona’s spell as the best team in Europe, Messi was untouchable.
He was majestic in his movement off and on the ball, there was nothing he couldn’t do in that Barcelona team. I haven’t seen a team as complete and fascinating to watch since, perhaps the current Manchester City side is closest thing to it.
As for Ronaldo at Real Madrid, well they may not have been as great of an all round team but nobody in the modern game comes close to them in terms of success on the European stage.
Three straight Champions League victories in a row with Ronaldo at the heartbeat of everything.
It’s not an overstatement to say they wouldn’t have achieved the greatness they did without him. It proved evident as soon as he left, the club has struggled for consistency ever since and even with Zidane back, they are a far cry from the side Ronaldo left behind.
These two players have helped to shape the modern game by creating so much history, they both had their time in the spotlight playing in teams that dominated domestically and on the European stage.
Now it’s time for Mbappe and Haaland, (both who could be on the move in the summer) to shape their own history and I for one am fastened in tightly as it promises to be one hell of a ride.