Lionel Messi vs Kylian Mbappe tale of the tape: How Argentina and France stars’ World Cup records compare ahead of final

LIONEL MESSI will pass the baton over to Kylian Mbappe in Sunday’s World Cup final.

The showpiece meeting between Argentina and France will see one of the greatest to ever do it battle it out with someone who could be mentioned in the same breath as him in 15 years time.

How Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s World Cup stats compare

ReutersMessi and Mbappe are the joint top scorers at the current World Cup[/caption]

GettyMbappe is bidding to win back-to-back World Cups[/caption]

Messi has openly admitted the final will be his last ever World Cup game.

But while there is a 12-year age gap between Messi, 35, and Mbappe, 23, there has been little to separate them at this World Cup.

Or over the last two World Cups for that matter.

Mbappe’s stats don’t go back any further than that, while the current tournament in Qatar is Messi’s FIFTH time on football’s greatest stage.

Although, despite playing 12 less games at the World Cup, Mbappe has only scored TWO fewer goals than Messi.

They have history facing each other at the tournament, too.

An incredible round of 16 clash four years ago saw France knock Argentina out 4-3 – Mbappe scoring twice, Messi firing a blank.

Now clubmates at Paris Saint-Germain, the pair are the joint top scorers at this World Cup with five goals in six games.

Messi’s overall World Cup record is 11 goals in 25 games, while Mbappe has a ridiculous nine from just 13 outings.

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That translates to a goal every 112 minutes – on what is supposed to be the toughest stage of all.

Messi on the other hand averages a goal every 199 minutes at the World Cup, which isn’t exactly once in a blue moon.

But while Mbappe has the edge in goals scored, Messi the maestro trumps his French counterpart when it comes to assists.

The Argentina skipper has set up eight goals in his World Cup career, compared to two for Mbappe, both of which have come at the current tournament.

Mbappe is yet to experience heartbreak on the World Cup stage, whereas for Messi it’s been failure after failure.

The closest he has come so far is losing the 2014 final in heartbreaking fashion to Germany.

He’s got one more crack at glory on Sunday, and will be desperate not to fall agonisingly short for a second time.

Mbappe though barely knows what defeat in a France shirt feels like.

Having won the World Cup the first time he ever played in the tournament, he could make it two out of two on Sunday.

So the most important stat of all remains in Mbappe’s favour… for now.

AFP or licensorsMbappe knocked Messi out of the 2018 World Cup[/caption]