High-stakes World Cup final could shape Lionel Messi and Kylian Mbappe’s PSG future

It is remarkable to think that, come Sunday evening, Kylian Mbappé, who only turns 24 next Tuesday, could have already twice won the biggest prize in football, which would ensure that it forever eludes the greatest player of all time, Lionel Messi.

Added to the momentous backdrop of the World Cup final is the fact that Mbappé and Messi are, of course, team-mates at Qatari-owned Paris St-Germain. Whoever wins and whoever loses at Lusail Stadium, there could be ramifications for their club careers.

The futures of Messi and Mbappé are yet to be decided. Neither will go anywhere before the summer, but both have made it clear that they want to see how their countries fare in the World Cup and how PSG’s latest attempt to win the Champions League play out before deciding whether they will stay.

It means there is much at stake, while PSG also have the sensitive task of managing the reintegration of the two superstars – and their third, Neymar, whose World Cup ended in bitter disappointment in the quarter-final against Croatia – when the club’s next Ligue 1 fixture comes around on December 28, at home to Strasbourg.

The sight of Mbappé wearing another winner’s medal at the Parc des Princes will cut to the core of Messi. Similarly, should Messi be triumphant, it will hurt Mbappé, who is rightly regarded as the best player in the world at present and whose ambition burns brightly.

There is no lasting animosity between the two players. They are not friends in the way that Mbappé is close to Achraf Hakimi, not least because there is a 12-year age gap, but there is respect and mutual admiration. Neymar, who is 30, is far closer to Messi than Mbappé is – as was evidenced in his exclusive interview with Telegraph Sport prior to the tournament – and given their history at Barcelona that is no surprise.

Mbappé and Messi are not buddies, but neither is there any hostility. There is a far cooler relationship between Mbappé and Neymar, who were close, with the temperature having dropped further after Mbappé signed his new contract last May.

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That caused consternation in Spain, where Real Madrid had convinced themselves he was joining them on a free transfer. PSG maintain they were always sure he would stay

There have been outlandish claims of the level of control Mbappé now has at PSG, but it is fair to state that he is the most influential player at the club – just as he is with France. At the same time PSG are well aware that this, finally, might be his last season with them and having secured him on a new deal, up until 2025, they are prepared to sell if he wants to go and they receive an appropriate offer.

What would that be? One senior PSG source told Telegraph Sport: “If people realise how valuable Kylian is today then they will realise how important he is for the club.

“With Kylian it is huge. The value of Kylian? €300-350million. They [Madrid] offered more than us and he chose. That’s the biggest statement. He chose here and it was not about money.”

But it might be next year. PSG are relaxed about that, especially after the crisis in October when Mbappé made it clear he wanted to leave in the January window because, at that time, he felt his relationship with the club had broken down.

Sources close to Mbappé claimed promises made to him had not been kept, primarily the intention to sign a No 9 so that he would not have to play as a central striker, which became evident with his infamous “pivot gang” post on Instagram. That led to tension with Neymar and sources claimed Mbappé regretted signing his new contract.

It has calmed down since then, with PSG believing it was a cry for help. But if Mbappé wins the World Cup with France, who play Olivier Giroud at centre-forward, a man he loves playing alongside, it may convince him to think about his future again.

PSG are seriously considering a move for Manchester United’s Marcus Rashford, having held talks last summer. They have indicated this will only happen if he is available on a free, which United will block by triggering the 12-month extension in his contract, but if PSG are armed with a world-record fee then do not rule it out. Especially if Rashford forces the issue.

The situation with Messi is also clear for PSG. They, and sources close to the Argentine, emphatically reject reports that he will agree a deal to join Inter Miami at the end of this season.

When the claims were made last month PSG even double-checked with Messi’s camp and were assured that he is solely focused on the World Cup and that, as he had told them in talks before the tournament, he would be willing to stay another season in Paris if the conditions are right. There is already an option for him to do so.

It may also depend on how PSG fare in the Champions League, although Messi has told the club that he enjoys working under coach Christophe Galtier and they are reasonably confident he will remain. At the very least they are emphatic he has not decided his future.

Inter Miami, who are part-owned by David Beckham, have made no secret of wanting to sign Messi. Beckham also has close links with the Qataris, having played for PSG, and has been working as an £150 million ambassador, controversially, during the World Cup. The Qataris would be surprised if a deal has been done behind their backs with Messi.

It all adds another intriguing layer to Sunday’s final. For the Qataris it is a win-win situation, given where the two main personalities play their club football and the exposure the game will receive, but it may have consequences as to what happens next and whether they stay there.