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Robert Pires has left Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) superstar Lionel Messi and Manchester United talisman Cristiano Ronaldo out of his list of the top three players in the world right now.
Overlooking Messi and Ronaldo, Robert Pires named countryman Kylian Mbappe as the best player in the world right now. The former Villarreal star went on to name Liverpool's Mohamed Salah and Manchester City's Kevin de Bruyne behind the 23-year-old. He was quoted as saying by King Fut:
“The current world’s best in my eyes is PSG’s Kylian Mbappe. But two Premier League stars come right after, Man City’s Kevin De Bruyne and Liverpool’s Mohamed Salah.”
PSG star Kylian Mbappe has scored 18 goals and provided 15 assists in 25 matches across all competitions this season. Liverpool winger Mohamed Salah, on the other hand, has found the back of the net 23 times while setting up nine goals for his teammates. Kevin de Bruyne has made eight goal contributions to Manchester City so far this term.
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are arguably two of the best players of all time. The PSG and Manchester United superstars have won 12 Ballon d'Or awards between them, as well as several other accolades.
Unfortunately, the duo are on the wrong side of their 30s and nearing the end of their careers. Messi and Ronaldo, though, continue to feature on the lists of the top three players in the world of fans, pundits and even other players.
Are Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo still the best in world football?
Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo have dominated discussions about who is the best player in the world for years. The former was even named the winner of the 2021 Ballon d'Or. However, stats indicate that two players are past their prime years.
Lionel Messi has scored just six goals and provided five assists from 16 appearances across all competitions for PSG this term. The 34-year-old has missed several games due to fitness issues and is potentially nearing the end of his career.
Cristiano Ronaldo has been a key player for Manchester United this season, netting 14 goals. However, there have been question marks around the 36-year-old's ability to keep up with the demands of interim manager Ralf Rangnick's system.
