Kylian Mbappe and Erling Haaland are both regarded as the faces of the next generation of football icons. Haaland is currently on track to break the Premier League goal scoring record in his first season, while Mbappe has shrugged off the disappointment of his 2022 World Cup final defeat by leading the scoring in Ligue 1.
While both these stars lead the line for the future of football, there has been one constant that still threatens their statistics, 35-year-old Lionel Messi.
Messi has shaken off the underwhelming output of his first season in France by scoring 35 goals and providing 23 assists for club and country this season. In comparison, star teammate Kylian Mbappe has scored 42 goals and provided 10 assists, while Erling Haaland, dominating the Premier League, has scored 45 goals and provided five assists.
— . (@barcastat) April 10, 2023
Paris Saint-Germain were once again faced with an early UEFA Champions League disappointment despite Messi and Mbappe’s best efforts, with both players facing harsh criticism from fans following poor results in the French Ligue 1.
Despite the hostile atmosphere, Messi continues to provide and shows no signs of slowing down. Messi looks set to leave Paris at the end of the current season due to disagreements over the future of the Paris Saint-Germain project, with a potential dream return to Barcelona on the horizon.
Players with MOST goal contributions in all competitions this season:
🇦🇷 Messi – 58 G/A
🇫🇷 Mbappé – 50 G/A
🇧🇷 Neymar – 40 G/A
🇳🇴 Haaland – 54 G/A
🏴 Rashford – 39 G/AA 35 year old “finished/system player” is competing with Youngsters, unreal Longevity 🇦🇷𓃵 pic.twitter.com/kaDxj2Kk40
— Honest Fan (@FriendlyDiver) April 8, 2023