Indian footballer Sandesh Jhingan believes that the new generation of stars, including Lamine Yamal, Erling Haaland, and Kylian Mbappe, possess the qualities to match the legendary status of Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. However, he emphasized that their ultimate success depends on discipline and motivation.
Jhingan's Assessment of the Young Stars
Speaking to ANI, Jhingan, who is serving as an expert for Zee 5 during the ongoing FIFA World Cup, noted the age differences among the three players. Yamal is 18, Mbappe is 27, and Haaland is 25. He highlighted Mbappe's proven ability to elevate his game during World Cups, calling him a proven performer on the big stage.
"I think there's a lot of age difference. Yamal is still 18 or 19. After EURO 2024, that is his first major tournament for the national team. Whereas Mbappe has proved that on an international stage, especially in the World Cup, he brings his game 10 steps, 10 levels ahead. That's a quality of Mbappe. On the big stage, he always steps up. Haaland, on the other hand, this time they qualified for the World Cup, but they proved it wrong yesterday when they beat Senegal. People generally say Haaland does not play in such a big team. But all in all, the three are so talented and so gifted," Jhingan said.
World Cup Milestones and Records
This World Cup has seen Mbappe become the second-highest FIFA World Cup goal-scorer with 16 goals, trailing only Argentina's Lionel Messi (18). Mbappe also surpassed Olivier Giroud (57) to become France's all-time leading goal-scorer with 60 goals. During Spain's win over Saudi Arabia, Yamal became the eighth-youngest goal-scorer in FIFA World Cup history at 18 years and 343 days. According to ESPN, Yamal's first World Cup goal came just 14 days younger than Messi's first, which Messi scored at 18 years and 357 days. As per Opta, Yamal is only the second player aged 18 or younger to open the scoring for his country in a World Cup match, after Brazilian legend Pele in 1958. Haaland scored a brace on his World Cup debut against Iraq and another brace against Senegal, becoming only the sixth player in World Cup history to score multiple goals in each of his first two appearances.
The Challenge of Longevity and Consistency
Jhingan stressed that the greatest challenge for these stars is to replicate the longevity and consistency of Messi and Ronaldo. "Because what Messi and Ronaldo have done for the past two decades is unprecedented. It is unbelievable just to think about it. The greatest talent you can have is longevity and consistency. And they have been doing it for 20 years. So imagine if Mbappe has to do the same or if Yamal has to do the same; he has to do it for 20 more years. It sounds daunting. But they have all the qualities, they have all the credentials, they have all the right tools in them," he said.
He added, "Now it comes to that motivation and discipline. So let us see who is the best. I think Haaland, I should not pick sides, but I think Haaland has that mindset. But so does Yamal, so does Mbappe."
Jhingan's comments come as the FIFA World Cup 2026 continues, with matches broadcast live on ZEE5 in Hindi, English, Malayalam, and Bangla.
