Lionel Messi and Cristiano Ronaldo are out of European football. As a result, the title of "Best Player in Football" is up for grabs. All eyes are on Paris Saint-Germain's Kylian Mbappe to take that label. However, he does have competition.
For those who don't feel that Mbappe is the best player, they'll likely say that the title belongs to Manchester City's Erling Haaland. Nonetheless, there's the Spanish media giving a candidate from left field.
El Chiringuito host Josep Pedrerol believes that Real Madrid midfielder Jude Bellingham is the best player in the world.
"Messi is part of the recent past; Bellingham is the best player in the world currently," Pedrerol said on El Hormiguero. "Right now, he is better than Mbappe."
@jpedrerol : "Messi fait partie du passe proche, Bellingham est le meilleur joueur du monde actuellement. En ce moment meme, il est meilleur que Mbappe."
@El_Hormiguero pic.twitter.com/XrwqH2gMdx
- LigActu (@LigActu) November 13, 2023
It's hard to take that argument seriously because Bellingham has only won a German Cup in his career. Meanwhile, Mbappe has the 2018 FIFA World Cup under his belt, and Haaland lifted the UEFA Champions League trophy as part of last season's treble.
That's not to say the argument can't be made in the future, but for now, it seems far-fetched to put the midfielder in this discussion.