The Haaland vs Mbappé rivalry is back, and this season it looks like it will finally live up to expectation.
Kylian Mbappé arrived on the scene first, instrumental in France’s World Cup win aged just 19. Domestically, he topped the Ligue 1 scoring charts every year consecutively between the 2018/19 season up until his move to Real Madrid at the end of 2023/24. In his time in France, Mbappé won seven league titles.
Haaland burst onto the scene a few years later, On his Champions League debut for RB Salzburg, the Norwegian scored a hat-trick. The goals kept coming. While playing for Borussia Dortmund in 2020/21, Haaland reached 20 Champions League goals in just 14 games – smashing the record. After moving to Manchester City and winning the treble in his first season, the stage seemed set – football was about to witness the next great rivalry, on par with Cristiano Ronaldo vs Lionel Messi.
In the years that followed, Haaland’s goalscoring touch slowed down and suddenly he looked human. Manchester City, once the team to beat, laboured their way towards a Champions League spot in 2024/25. 22 league goals is a respectable return, but fell far short of the goalscoring standards the big Norwegian had set.
Meanwhile, Mbappé had a sluggish start after making his move to Real Madrid. At first he struggled to adapt to the number 9 role and it was unclear who would emerge as the true leader of the attack between him and Vinícius Jr.
2024/25 was a lowpoint for the pair. Whilst Haaland and Mbappé were toiling, a new contender emerged.
Lamine Yamal won the Euros, became Barcelona’s talisman and entered the conversation for the best 18 year old of all time.
But now, after the start of this season, Haaland and Mbappé have simultaneously returned to the spotlight. Haaland is once again scoring goals at a ridiculous pace for both Manchester City and the Norwegian national team, looking every bit as unstoppable as only he can with his mix of power and speed. At the same time, Mbappé has gradually ramped up his level since the turn of the year. He now looks completely natural in the number 9 role and has become the undisputed king at the Bernabéu, carrying Real Madrid on his shoulders. Mbappé has never been better than he is right now.
If things continue like this for the rest of the season, we truly have another fight for who is the best player in the world.
But this time, it is not just between two men.
Lamine Yamal, at just 18 years old, is already operating at nearly the same level, and given his age, it is fair to expect that he is only going to get better.
Get ready for the Mbappé vs Haaland vs Yamal era.