‘Lionel Messi is the best in the world’ … Fan favourite backs icon over Kylian Mbappe despite watching him have a ‘shocker’

EXCLUSIVE: Lionel Messi has captured the heart of a popular player, who gives him the edge over Kylian Mbappe.

The pair of phenoms have looked nothing short of sensational in the FIFA World Cup 2026.

David Wheater thinks Lionel Messi is better than Erling Haaland

David Wheater has enormous respect for Kylian Mbappe. However, in his eyes, nobody compares to the Inter Miami superstar.

WOW: Pele was better than Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo according to a football legend

In an exclusive interview with Sporf, via Midnite, the Middlesbrough hero explained: “I’m a Messi man. I love Lionel Messi. I think as long as he’s playing, he’s the best in the world. Mbappe is right up there with him; he and Erling Haaland are brilliant. I’ve been out [to the USA]. My mate, Tim Ream, plays for Charlotte. I saw his fixture list, so I texted him and said, ‘Can you get me tickets’? He got us some. So, we went out to America just to see Messi play. He had an absolute shocker to be honest, he tried to chip a penalty, and the goalkeeper saved it and I think they lost 3-0. But to see him play was unbelievable, I think he’s brilliant.”

Lionel Messi missed penalty while a celebrity desperately tried to distract him

While Messi is a borderline flawless player, his ability to convert penalties has been brought into question during the World Cup.

The tremendous athlete missed his second of the tournament against Egypt in the Last 16.

However, there were mitigating circumstances.

During his run-up, a celebrity tried to distract Messi.

Wheater was in attendance at the ‘This Season’s On Us’ event at Riverside Stadium on Thursday, July 9.

To find out more follow Midnite and Middlesbrough on social media or read about the initiative at https://www.midnite.com.

Featured Image Credit: Getty