George Weah explains the difference between Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal

Legendary football figure and 1995 Ballon d'Or winner George Weah has shared his thoughts on the ongoing debate surrounding Kylian Mbappé and Lamine Yamal, currently considered among the world's best players. In his view, there is still a significant gap in quality between the Real Madrid forward and the young Barcelona star. This is reported by Goal.com reports.

Weah attended the match between France and Sweden at MetLife Stadium in New Jersey, USA. In that game, Kylian Mbappé scored a brace, securing a 3-0 victory for his team. According to Goal.com, the former Liberian footballer did not hide his admiration for Mbappé's performance.

"Mbappé is a phenomenon. He is truly a very strong player and an incredible goalscorer. He cannot be compared to anyone right now," the former Milan and PSG striker emphasized in an interview with the Spanish TV channel El Chiringuito.

The gap between experience and youth

Recently, the football community has been highly praising the talent of 18-year-old Lamine Yamal, who is shining for Barcelona. However, George Weah stated that it is too early to put the young talent on the same level as the experienced Mbappé. According to him, Yamal is still in the process of growth and development.

"Lamine Yamal is still a very young boy. It is wrong to compare him with Mbappé. Kylian is already an established phenomenon, while Lamine is just finding his way. I wish him nothing but the best, but everyone knows that Mbappé is currently at a much higher level," Weah added.

Mbappé is currently leading the top scorer race at the 2026 World Cup. He has 6 goals to his name and is competing with Lionel Messi for the Golden Boot. In the match against Sweden, he could have scored a hat-trick, but one of his shots hit the post, and another was disallowed due to offside.

On the verge of historical records

Kylian Mbappé has brought his tally of World Cup goals to 18. He is only one goal behind Lionel Messi, who is the top scorer in the tournament's history. The 27-year-old forward stands out from young stars like Yamal with his consistent play and high efficiency.

This rivalry is also interesting for football fans in Uzbekistan, as Mbappé and Yamal represent not only their national teams but also the fierce rivals in the Spanish league — Real Madrid and Barcelona. Weah's comments served as a wake-up call regarding the excessive hype surrounding young talents.