“I Always Miss Playing With Lionel Messi” – Kylian Mbappe Drops Heartfelt Confession After PSG’s Win Over Toulouse

PSG ace Kylian Mbappe is continuing from where he left off in 2023. His thunderous strike helped Luis Enrique’s side beat Toulouse 2-0. With this win, PSG has solidified their position as the league leader, while Mbappe is the top scorer in the league (18 goals). Yet, it seems like not everything is perfect for the PSG star as he said that he misses playing alongside Lionel Messi, who brought a lot of ‘certainty‘. What could the Frenchman be implying?

Lionel Messi & Neymar left PSG in the summer. Their replacements, the likes of Ousmane Dembele, Kolo Muani, and Goncalo Ramos, haven’t hit the heights of the iconic duo. Hence, it looks like he isn’t satisfied.

Mbappe describes the ‘luxuries’ he got while playing beside Messi

Following the match against Toulouse, the Frenchman was quizzed about the Inter Miami ace. On Amazon Prime Video, Mbappe said, “You always miss playing with Messi. For a striker like me who likes to devour space, with him you go with the certainty that you can have the ball. It was a luxury that only he can give you.” He wrapped by saying, “But beyond that, playing with Messi was special”, as compiled by FootMercato and translated by DeepL.

During Messi’s time with PSG, he was deployed more as a playmaker rather than a goalscorer. In 58 Ligue 1 matches, the Argentine maestro has 22 goals and 31 assists. Hence, it was obvious that his role was to play through balls. A dynamic that Mbappe enjoyed, as per his words. The likes of Dembele, Asensio, and Kolo Muani have recorded just 8 assists between them throughout the league campaign. Hence, Mbappe is not getting the killer chances he wants, but to his credit, he still manages to rack up goals.

Despite rumors of a rift between them, Mbappe has always expressed his admiration for Lionel Messi. In fact, the Argentine also has a role in the lethal goal scorer’s sparkling performances this season.

Lionel Messi ‘really helped’ improve Mbappe’s game

Months ago, the PSG attacker won the award for Ligue 1 player of the season. During the speech acceptance, he credited the influence of Lionel Messi in his evolution as a player. Mbappe said, “I want to thank all the players. Winning the league is a great honor for us. I want to thank Leo Messi who really helped me a lot this season, the staff, the management, and the people who work behind the scenes.”

Read More: Kylian Mbappe Outshines Lionel Messi’s Record With 300th Career Goal at France vs. Gibraltar UEFA EURO Qualifiers

The Argentine maestro has a wealth of experience and always gives tips to other players on the pitch. Interestingly, Lionel Messi was also the leading assist provider in Ligue 1 last season. It seems Mbappe has certainly learned a lot from him as the goalscorer ranks in the 95th percentile for progressive passes and 91st percentile for expected assists.

Can Mbappe match the heights of Lionel Messi? Let us know in the comments below.

WATCH THIS STORY: Cristiano Jr’s Insane Training Schedule