Haaland plays down rivalry with Mbappe

Erling Haaland, a striker for Manchester City, has downplayed his prospective rivalry with Kylian Mbappe in the debate about who the next Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo of football would be.

It's impossible to say, Haaland stated in a conversation with former Liverpool midfielder Jan Molby regarding his potential battle with Mbappe.

"I don't like to compare myself with others. I think you need to be your own player when it comes to that so I don't like to compare or anything with that."

"I think the media has been doing that with Ronaldo and Messi for the last 10 years and I think they've been pushing each other as well," he added.

"I think it's been a positive thing. Barcelona and Madrid against each other.

"It's been the perfect rivalry. But I don't think about this [rivalry between him and Mbappe], honestly."

Kylian Mbappe said that Haaland needs to demonstrate more endurance before being dubbed football's next major star last year, claiming that Haaland isn't quite at his level yet.

"It is his second year, we are getting to know him. It is the beginning for him. I'm happy for him, for what he's doing," Mbappe told Esquire.

The Premier League, which is frequently regarded as one of the toughest competitions to succeed in, has been a walk in the park for Haaland. He sets records every time he lace up his boots and enters the field for Manchester City. He scored his 20th Premier League goal against Leeds throughout the week, making him the league's fastest 20-goal scorer.

On the other side, Mbappe's incredible performance in the World Cup in Qatar lit the place up. The 24-year-old won the golden boot award for the tournament with eight goals. For PSG, Mbappe has scored 20 goals.