3 Reasons Why Mbappé Won’t Surpass Zidane Ahead of World Cup 2026

Real Madrid star Kylian Mbappé is not yet worthy of being a French icon. “Is Mbappé not at the level of Zinedine Zidane!”

Kylian Mbappé has been told, during an exclusive GOAL interview with Frank Leboeuf, why he “cannot be compared” to Zinedine Zidane in any discussion regarding the GOAT of French football. Even a second World Cup victory, while being the all-time top scorer for Les Bleus, might not be enough to elevate the Real Madrid star above the Los Blancos icon of the past.

Statistics: World Cup & PSG’s All-Time Top Scorer Mbappé won the world title in 2018 while still a teenager. He reached a second consecutive final in Qatar 2022 – making history by scoring a hat-trick in that prestigious event – but suffered defeat in a penalty shootout against Lionel Messi and Argentina. Mbappé, currently 27 years old, has become the all-time top scorer Paris Saint-Germain has ever had, with a total of 235 goals, and is only two goals away from Olivier Giroud (57) at the top of France’s all-time top scorer list. Mbappé will return to hunt for other major titles in 2026, both for club and country, and has maintained extraordinary individual standards since becoming the new ‘Galactico’ at the Santiago Bernabeu in 2024.

Can Mbappé Surpass Zidane?

When asked if he can one day be recognized as the greatest player France has ever had, 1998 World Cup winner Leboeuf told GOAL: “Certainly not. He cannot be compared. It is difficult to compare their careers and their eras. But what Zizou was able to do, besides being a great player, the way he behaved – even if he made a mistake in 2006 – people loved him. Kylian Mbappé has some controversies in his personal life, which have sparked anger from some people in France. He will never reach Zidane’s level, and perhaps no one will be able to match him. Michel Platini was also there at that time and Raymond Kopa before him, those players are icons. Only at the end of his career will we see if Mbappé can be placed on the same level.”

“He is a great player. Of course a great player and a smart person. I am very proud of him. However, he still has to work harder on the pitch for me to think, ‘wow, what a great player’. He is a great striker. Real Madrid is very lucky to have him this season, scoring goals in almost every match. But I still need a little more from him – for example, when losing the ball, to chase back a little bit, just a little bit, and show that he wants to help his teammates. In the modern era, it is all about statistics, how many goals you score, how many assists you provide, how many runs you make, and for me Kylian Mbappé is the best example of modern football today. I do not belong to that category, so I want to see more from him.”

Mbappé vs Haaland Rivalry at World Cup 2026

The French national team and the Norwegian national team are in the same group at the World Cup 2026. Kylian Mbappé vs Erling Haaland is indeed worth waiting for. The World Cup 2026 group stage draw has been completed at the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts, Friday (December 5, 2025). One of the results brought France and Norway together. Both teams are joined in Group I. The other two teams in that group are Senegal and the winner of playoff 2. This will likely be one of the most anticipated matches by all football lovers across the world. European football expert, Julien Laurens, is looking forward to the duel between Mbappé and Haaland. He referred to both players as the successors to the rivalry between Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo.

“I spoke with Didier Deschamps not long before today’s draw and it is clear that every coach does not want to face Norway from pot 3,” said Laurens on BBC. “That is a team to be avoided and given the draw has taken place and France is at the bottom of the group and Norway hasn’t come out yet, I think this is it, we will witness Mbappé vs Haaland in the World Cup group stage.”

“Both of them should be, and still are, on the right track to becoming the successors of Messi vs Ronaldo. The fierce battle of two mega stars in the Champions League, Ballon d’Or, and the World Cup. This is the time,” he added. For Haaland, this will be his best moment in his first World Cup. As mentioned by Norway coach, Stale Solbakken. ’’Both are in top form at the moment,’’ said Solbakken, quoted from the L’Equipe website. ’’They (Mbappé-Haaland) can be said to be the two best strikers in Europe currently. This duel will be one of the most anticipated,’’ continued Solbakken, in his assessment of the meeting between Mbappé and Haaland.