Lionel Messi will be going up against his Paris Saint-Germain teammate Kylian Mbappe when Argentina faces France in the 2022 FIFA World Cup Final.
While the two play together in the French capital, there’s debate about which player is better. Arsenal legend Ray Parlour was asked on talkSPORT Friday which of the two players he would want on The Gunners right now.
Despite being 35 years old, Parlour would still want the veteran forward over Mbappe; considering what Messi has displayed this tournament in Qatar, it’s not a bad take even though the 23-year-old has played well too. Nonetheless, at times it feels as though it’s Messi that stirs the offense for Argentina.
“I like Messi when he’s a little bit deeper and he can drift anywhere he likes,” Parlour said. “He’s that sort of player. He can pop up on the left-hand side, right-hand side, which we’ve seen, but just the way he’s been playing.
“[He’s] a striker’s dream. If you got a player like him alongside, you’ll score bundles of goals, wouldn’t you? Just to know if you get in the right place at the right time, you’re going to get the ball exactly when you want it, so you’re ready to go.”
Once club football resumes, all the pressure will be on PSG to march to the UEFA Champions League Final with the form Messi and Mbappe are playing to ensure they can take advantage of the last possible season they might have the three attackers.