"That's what everyone thinks," Haaland told France Football in 2023 when asked whether he believed he and Mbappe were the the next Messi and Ronaldo.
"But you have to emphasise just how crazy the things Messi and Cristiano have done.
Speaking ahead of the World Cup clash with Iraq, Mbappe echoed that sentiment, telling a press conference: "Messi is the best player, along with Cristiano, that's clear.
I'm trying to help my team win another World Cup.
I don't make future plans; I only think about the present moment, about enjoying the World Cup."
Both Haaland and Mbappe have been quick to distance themselves from comparisons to the two GOATs, too, ensuring that the next-generation rivalry hasn't ever been played up too much.
You can certainly understand why; we would be incredibly fortunate to ever witness a rivalry of Messi and Ronaldo's quality again, with each achieving extraordinary feats in terms of goal-scoring, individual moments of magic and trophy winning, with more than 900 strikes each and a ridiculous 81 pieces of silverware between them, as well as an endless highlights reel.
"That's what everyone thinks," Haaland told France Football in 2023 when asked whether he believed he and Mbappe were the the next Messi and Ronaldo. "But you have to emphasise just how crazy the things Messi and Cristiano have done. You also have to remember that they're still doing it, even if they're getting older. They're still fantastic players.
"But I never talk about myself being against other players, it's not my way of seeing things. I focus on myself, I only try to be better every day, to continue enjoying what I do and being the best version of myself."
Speaking ahead of the World Cup clash with Iraq, Mbappe echoed that sentiment, telling a press conference: "Messi is the best player, along with Cristiano, that's clear. I'm trying to help my team win another World Cup. The rest is just debate for the journalists. Right now, I'm not thinking about Haaland.
"Messi has shown what we've seen, that's a debate for people, it's good, but it's not something on my mind. What I want is to bring the trophy home. I won't be here when I turn 40; they'll have kicked me out before then. I don't make future plans; I only think about the present moment, about enjoying the World Cup."
