Are Ronaldo, Messi still the largest World Cup draws, or is Mbappe bigger?

Published 9 June 2026 · sports

Has Kylian Mbappe surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the dominant superstar at the 2026 World Cup? As the greatest sporting show in the

Has Kylian Mbappe surpassed Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi as the dominant superstar at the 2026 World Cup? As the greatest sporting show in the world begins next week, all eyes will be on football’s two household names of the last quarter-century: Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. Ronaldo and Messi are not just living legends – they are active legends, still playing at an elite standard for club and country. For the past five World Cups, they have been the names on everyone’s lips, but as the 2026 tournament begins, has a new player emerged to challenge their mainstream appeal with fans and brands alike? The player most often mentioned in that conversation is sublimely talented Real Madrid striker Kylian Mbappe, who jumped straight into the two legends shoes as one of the best and most recognisable stars in Europe once they departed the continent to begin new football chapters in the Middle East (Ronaldo) and the United States (Messi). Mbappe’s World Cup career arc has, in some ways, already surpassed the Ronaldo-Messi duo: World Cup winner at just 19, Golden Boot winner at 23. In comparison, Messi was 35 when he attained a World Cup trophy, and Ronaldo is yet to win one. Now, with Ronaldo, 41, and Messi, 38, playing in what is almost certainly their last World Cup, has the popularity torch already been passed to Mbappe as we enter the 2026 edition? With the World Cup about to kick off, Al Jazeera Sport breaks down some key metrics to determine who has more star power heading into football’s global showpiece 1. Which player is selling out the World Cup 2026 matches? ⚽ Advantage: Messi Tickets to Messi’s Argentina group stage matches were the first to be completely sold out. FIFA said in November that Argentina fans topped ticket sales before the first official release, ostensibly to see Messi in his swan song and also due to his huge profile in the US as the superstar of the domestic Major League Soccer (MLS). Tickets to Mbappe’s France fixtures and Ronaldo’s Portugal group stage matches eventually sold out as well, though resale sites such as Stubhub have listed tickets for the blockbuster Portugal vs Colombia match in Miami on June 27 at a staggering $3,000-$12,000.

Portugal’s other two group stage matches were listed in the $750-$2,000 range. Argentina vs Austria: ~$750-$1,500 Argentina vs Algeria: ~$700-$2,300 Argentina vs Jordan: ~$1,000-$6,400 France vs Senegal ~$750-$2,400 France vs Iraq ~$480-$3,100 France vs Norway ~ $850-$2,500 Portugal vs DR Congo ~ $750-$2,000 Portugal vs Uzbekistan ~ $750-$2,000 Colombia vs Portugal ~ 3,000-$12,000 2. World Cup stats: by the numbers ⚽ Advantage: Mbappe Mbappe, 27, is the least experienced but is entering his third World Cup as statistically the most proficient goal-scoring forward of the trio – and by a large margin. He has already surpassed Ronaldo’s goals total, despite playing eight fewer matches and is only one goal behind Messi. The Argentinian has the most assists with eight. Kylian Mbappe: 12 goals (0.86 goals per game), 5 assists in 14 appearances (across two tournaments) 12 goals (0.86 goals per game), 5 assists in 14 appearances (across two tournaments) Lionel Messi: 13 goals (0.5 goals per game), 8 assists in 26 appearances (across five tournaments) 13 goals (0.5 goals per game), 8 assists in 26 appearances (across five tournaments) Cristiano Ronaldo: 8 goals (0.36 goals per game), 2 assists in 22 appearances (across five tournaments) 3. Who do the fans search for globally? ⚽ Advantage: Ronaldo Google revealed in 2023 that Ronaldo had been the most searched athlete on their platform over the past 25 years. The Portuguese forward has dominated the annual list of most Googled footballers more than 10 times – trailed mostly by Messi – and is also the most searched athlete and football player. In advance of the 2026 World Cup, global data analysis has revealed that Ronaldo continues to be the number-one searched footballer based on internet search volumes, according to Hobbs Independent, an online publication and news portal that covers a wide range of global topics. Ronaldo’s 10,156,667 average monthly searches in 2026 was more than double any other footballer. Messi (3,276,667) and Mbappe (3,132,500) were statistically close in third and fourth, respectively, behind Neymar Jr (5,066,667). 4. Who earns the most money? ⚽ Advantage: Ronaldo Ronaldo still sits head and shoulders above his counterparts when it comes to yearly income.