Mbappé backs Ronaldo to outscore Messi at 2026 World Cup — then picks himself above both

Kylian Mbappé has declared himself the most dangerous scorer heading into the 2026 World Cup, but not before settling one of football’s oldest debates — backing Cristiano Ronaldo to finish ahead of Lionel Messi in the goals column at the tournament in North America.

The France captain made the predictions during a rapid-fire challenge with content creator Finn Agostinelli and Sorare, working through a bracket of the world’s most prolific attackers. When forced to choose between the two greatest players of the modern era, Mbappé sided with his idol Ronaldo over Messi — despite Messi’s more recent impact on the global stage, having led Argentina to the 2022 title in Qatar.

When the bracket eventually pitted Ronaldo against Mbappé himself, the 26-year-old did not hesitate. He backed his own ability to finish as the tournament’s leading scorer, placing himself above even the Al-Nassr veteran.

Before reaching that final comparison, Mbappé worked through the current generation of elite talent. He showed notable faith in Barcelona teenager Lamine Yamal, selecting him ahead of Florian Wirtz, Memphis Depay, and Erling Haaland. He then backed his Real Madrid clubmate Vinícius Jr to edge out both Yamal and England captain Harry Kane, before ultimately deferring to the veteran legends — placing Messi ahead of the Brazilian winger and Ronaldo above everyone except himself.

The 2026 tournament carries particular emotional weight for Mbappé. Despite scoring a hat-trick in the 2022 final at Lusail, he finished on the losing side against Argentina. He has since admitted that revisiting the match might “awaken some demons”, and has avoided rewatching the game entirely.

The stakes in North America are historically significant. Both Ronaldo and Messi are expected to appear at a record sixth World Cup. Ronaldo arrives with eight career goals in the competition but has never scored in a knockout-round match. Messi, by contrast, has accumulated 13 goals and eight assists across his World Cup career.

France open their Group I campaign against Senegal, Iraq, and Norway, with their first match scheduled at MetLife Stadium on June 16.