“Best player in the world” - Lionel Messi’s ex-coach Luis Enrique salutes Kylian Mbappe after PSG win over Dortmund
Paris Saint-Germain (PSG) manager Luis Enrique - who managed Lionel Messi at Barcelona - has hailed his striker Kylian Mbappe as the world's best player.
The 24-year-old Frenchman turned in a dazzling performance on Tuesday (September 19) at the Parc des Princes in the 2-0 win over Borussia Dortmund in the UEFA Champions League opener.
Mbappe opened the scoring from the spot four minutes into the second period before Achraf Hakimi doubled Enrique's team advantage nine minutes later. Mbappe, who played the entire 90 minutes, also made four dribbles and won five duels (as per Sofa Score).
Enrique said after the game that Mbappe, who scored his 41st Champions League goal in 62 games, is the best player in the world. As per transfer expert Fabrizio Romano on Instagram, the PSG boss said in a press conference about the 2018 FIFA World Cup winner:
"𝐅𝐨𝐫 𝐦𝐞 𝐡𝐞’𝐬 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐞𝐬𝐭 𝐢𝐧 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝. 41 goals in 62 Champions League games for Kylian Mbappé who’s still just 24 years old."
The Spanish boss hailed Kylian Mbappe's technical skills and for being a leader with a smile:
"More than his technical skills, what has impressed me is his human quality. It's a pleasure to have him in dressing room — he's a leader who always has a smile on his face, it’s fantastic to work with Kylian daily."
It's pertinent to note that the striker wasn't a part of the Parisians' pre-season tour of Japan. That's because the player sent a letter to the club that he wouldn't extend his current deal beyond 2024.
That enraged the club hierarchy who told him to sign a new deal or get prepared to be sold. The Parisians put Kylian Mbappe on the transfer list as the standoff continued.
However, recent behind-the-scenes development saw the club's all-time top scorer back with the first team ahead of the second Ligue 1 game of the season.
How have Kylian Mbappe and Lionel Messi fared this season?
Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe were teammates at PSG for two seasons before the Argentine joined MLS side Inter Miami on a free transfer this summer. Suffice to say, the seven-time Ballon d'Or winner has been a roaring hit in South Florida.
Since scoring on his debut with a 94th-minute free-kick winner against Cruz Azul in the Leagues Cup, Lionel Messi hasn't looked back. The 36-year-old has bagged a rich haul of 11 goals and five assists in 11 games across competitions.
That includes leading the Herons to their first-ever trophy (Leagues Cup) in their five-year history, taking them to the US Open Cup final and lifting them off the foot of the MLS Eastern Conference.
Meanwhile, Mbappe has also had a splendid start to the season. The Frenchman has scored eight times in five games across competitions - with seven of these strikes coming in four Ligue 1 outings.
He has scored in every game this season, with the Parisians winning three of them and losing one.