Argentine playmaker Lionel Messi has responded to Kylian Mbappe’s claim that the Euros are a tougher competition than the World Cup.
Ahead of Euro 2024 in Germany, Mbappe stated that the European tournament is “more complicated than a World Cup,” but Messi, his former PSG teammate, disagreed.
“Well, everybody prioritizes their tournament,” Messi told ESPN Argentina, ahead of his country’s participation in this summer’s Copa America. “Obviously, the Euros are very important and have the best teams, but he’s leaving out three-time champion Argentina, five-time champion Brazil, and two-time champion Uruguay. There are a lot of world champions left off to say that it’s the most difficult tournament.
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“The best teams play in the World Cup, which generally includes all the world champions. There’s a reason everybody wants to be champions.”
Messi’s Argentina are the reigning Copa America champions, having beaten Brazil in the 2021 final, while France is looking for their first trophy since winning the World Cup in 2018.
Mbappe, who won the Golden Boot at the 2022 World Cup in Qatar as France lost to Messi’s Argentina in the final, explained why he believed the Euros to be the world’s hardest international competition.
“The Euros are complicated. For me, more complicated than a World Cup,” Mbappe said at a press conference. “Even if there is more pressure at the World Cup. All the teams know each other, we play against each other all the time. Tactically, it is very similar soccer.”
He added that teams like Argentina and Brazil don’t face the same level of competition.
“The advantage we Europeans have is that we always play against each other in high-level matches like the Nations League,” he said, via Bolavip. “When we arrive at the World Cup, we are ready. Brazil and Argentina don’t have that level in South America. Soccer is not as advanced as it is here in Europe. That’s why the last World Champions are always Europeans.”
France begins their Euros campaign against Austria on June 17, while Argentina will face Canada on June 20.