At barely 25 years old, Kylian Mbappe’s stats are impressive when compared to those of Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo at the same age.
It is understandable why many believe that the PSG sensation is currently the best player in the world. Mbappe belongs in the elite category by default due to his goal scoring statistics, but he is much more than simply a statistic.
Nothing is beyond the Frenchman’s capabilities as he can play through the middle or on either flank. The 25-year-old is genuinely unique; he has done everything from score a hat-trick in a World Cup final to consistently finish opponents dead with his lightning-fast pace.
Kylian Mbappe most clearly qualifies as a member of the generational talent that is being referred to informally nowadays. Although players like Messi and Ronaldo dominated the game during their respective eras, Mbappe is equipped with all the necessary tools to take over.
That is not to claim that Mbappe will ever surpass Ronaldo or Messi, but the numbers do seem to indicate that there is not much separating the two players.
While Messi and Ronaldo were the same age, Mbappe is 25 years old and has more goals and assists.
Naturally, these figures should be interpreted with caution because it is difficult to compare the Premier League and La Liga to the competitiveness in Ligue 1. Nevertheless, the comparison is intriguing.
The French player has also won some international awards and has an excellent minutes-per-goal ratio. To experience some success on the global scene, Messi and Ronaldo had to wait until their older years.
The Ballon d’Or and the Champions League are arguably the two biggest awards that Mbappe has yet to win. To put it in perspective, Messi had already won three Champions League titles and three Ballon d’Or awards by the time he was 25.
Nonetheless, Mbappe still has a lot of time remaining to win those awards, and we have no doubt that he will keep producing for his club and his country for many years to come.
The records of Messi and Ronaldo at the same age are compared with Mbappe’s as of his 25th birthday.
Kylian Mbappe
- Appearances: 421
- Goals: 309
- Assists: 148
- Minutes per goal: 103.3
- Minutes per goal or assist: 69.87
- Free-kicks: 0
- Penalties: 38
- League Goals: 180
- Champions League Goals: 43
- International Goals: 46
- Trophies
- Club: Ligue 1 x 6, Coupe de France x 3, Coupe de la Ligue x 2, Trophee des Champions x 2
- Youth: UEFA Euro Under-19 x 1
- International: World Cup x 1, UEFA Nations League x 1
- Individual: Ligue 1 Player of the Year x 4, World Cup Golden Boot x 1, Ligue 1 Top Goalscorer x 5
Lionel Messi
- Appearances: 399
- Goals: 279
- Assists: 121
- Minutes per goal: 111.5
- Minutes per goal or assist: 77.8
- Free-kicks: 7
- Penalties: 34
- League Goals: 169
- Champions League Goals: 51
- International Goals: 26
- Trophies
- Club: La Liga x 5, Champions League x 3, Copa del Rey x 2, Supercopa de Espana x 4, UEFA Super Cup x 2
- Youth: FIFA Under-20 World Champions x 1, Summer Olympics x 1
- International: None
- Individual: Ballon d’Or x 3, European Golden Shoe x 2, La Liga Best Player x 4, Pichichi (La Liga top scorer) x 2
Cristiano Ronaldo
- Appearances: 407
- Goals: 160
- Assists: 70
- Minutes per goal: 187.5
- Minutes per goal or assist: 130.5
- Free-kicks: 17
- Penalties: 20
- League Goals: 96
- Champions League Goals: 21
- International Goals: 22
- Trophies
- Club: Portuguese Super Cup x 1, Premier League x 3, FA Cup x 1, League Cup x 2, Champions League x 1, FIFA Club World Cup x1
- Youth: Toulon Tournament x 1
- International: None
- Individual: Ballon d’Or x 1, European Golden Shoe x 1, Premier League Player of the Season x 2, PFA Players Player of the Year x 2, Premier League Golden Boot x 1, Puskas Award x1, Champions League top scorer x1
