Is Kylian Mbappé the best player in the world? The Paris Saint-Germain superstar is certainly in sensational form right now, but how does he compare to the likes of Karim Benzema, Robert Lewandowski, Erling Haaland and Mo Salah? ligue1.com crunches the numbers.
"I've always wanted to be [the best player in the world]. But am I? That's for people to say. When you're the best, you don't need to say it," explained the PSG forward after having a hand in all five of his team's goals in their 5-1 dismissal of Lorient on Sunday, scoring twice himself. "I'm having a great spell. I always have the same mentality, the same objective: help my team win."
Lorient coach Christophe Pelissier was in no doubt: "He's the best player in the world. He can do everything."
WATCH: Kylian Mbappé has a hand in all five goals as PSG beat Lorient
THE STATS
These are impressive: 17 goals and 13 assists in 27 Ligue 1 Uber Eats appearances. In fact, he's been involved in a goal every 77 minutes on the pitch in the French top flight this season. Add to that 12 goal involvements in eight UEFA Champions League matches — once every 56 minutes!! — and you get some idea of the phenomenal scale of the France forward's season.
He also scored five goals and registered an assist in three Coupe de France matches, making a total of 28 competitive strikes, 20 assists, and a goal involvement every 66 minutes across the three competitions, scoring a goal himself every 114 minutes.
HOW DOES THAT COMPARE IN FRANCE?
Monaco's Wissam ben Yedder currently tops the Ligue 1 Uber Eats scoring charts with 18 goals. He also has four assists, and has been involved in a goal every 87 minutes on the pitch in the French top flight. With a combined total of 31 goals and assists in 44 competitive appearances, he has contributed to a Monaco strike every 94 minutes this season.
Mbappé's PSG teammates Neymar and Lionel Messi have been involved in a competitive goal every 150 and 118 minutes respectively this season, putting all three Ligue 1 stars well behind Mbappé.
HOW DOES THAT COMPARE IN EUROPE?
Lewandowski has scored 45 times in 38 competitive games, netting every 73 minutes. The Bayern Munich forward has just four assists though, and comes out behind the PSG man with a goal involvement every 67 minutes on the pitch.
Haaland has found the net 23 times in 24 games, scoring every 80 minutes. The Borussia Dortmund striker's goal involvement is the best of the three with 29 in those 24 appearances, meaning he's had a hand in one of his team's goals every 63 minutes.
Mbappé's France teammate, Real Madrid's Karim Benzema, leads the La Liga scoring charts, and has 47 goal involvements in 35 competitive games — 34 goals and 13 assists — at a ratio of one every 63 minutes, matching Haaland's mark despite playing 11 more matches than the Norway international.
English Premier League top scorer Mohamed Salah has 28 goals and 10 assists in 37 competitive appearances for Liverpool this term, averaging a goal involvement every 81.5 minutes, the lowest of the continental elite.
SO, IS MBAPPÉ THE BEST?
The PSG man is certainly top dog in France, and he boasts the most assists of this exclusive group, having already smashed his own previous best of nine for a single league season.
He is just one behind Lewandowski in terms of overall goal involvements, but the Bayern Munich man has nowhere near as many assists. Mbappé's goal involvement ratio is slightly behind that of Benzema and Haaland, but only the Madrid man comes close to his international teammate's all-round output.
So is he the best in the world? "He's the best footballer right now, he's very good," said Carlo Ancelotti after watching Mbappé score the late matchwinner in PSG's UEFA Champions League Round of 16 first leg against his Madrid team. And if Benzema's boss says that, who are we to argue?
