‘There’s No Argentina, Brazil’: Lionel Messi Fumes at Kylian Mbappe’s Claims That Euros Is Tougher

• Lionel Messi has dished out a 'perfect' response to Kylian Mbappe's claims that winning the Euros is tougher than the World Cup
• The Argentina captain disagrees with his former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, despite admitting the Euros is important
• While Mbappe will lead France at the Euros, Messi is also expected to do the same as Argentina aim to defend their Copa America crown

Argentina captain Lionel Messi has joined the ongoing debate about which tournament is more challenging to win: the European Championship or the FIFA World Cup.

The debate, which has divided opinions among football experts, gained traction when Real Madrid's Kylian Mbappe asserted that winning the Euros is harder than the World Cup.

Mbappe claims Euros is tougher than World Cup

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Mbappe, who appeared to take a subtle jab at South American teams before the 2022 World Cup, sparked further controversy with his claim.

He argued that because most players face each other regularly at the club level, there is a higher degree of familiarity, making the competition more evenly matched in terms of tactics, per Sportskeeda.

Kylian's comments have elicited both support and criticism, with several top players weighing in on the matter.

Recently, Lionel Messi, the 25-year-old's former Paris Saint-Germain teammate, expressed his disagreement with the French captain.

Messi responds to Mbappe's Euros claims

Messi, who led Argentina to victory over France in the dramatic 2022 World Cup final decided by a penalty shootout, countered Mbappe's claim by highlighting that the European Championship excludes teams like Argentina and Brazil.

“He also said that the South American teams didn't have the competition of the Europeans. Everyone values what they play," the Inter Miami superstar said, as quoted by Football Tweet.

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While acknowledging the significance of the Euros, Messi emphasised that South American football powerhouses like Brazil, Argentina, and Uruguay, with their combined 10 World Cup titles, could make a significant impact if they competed in Europe.

"The Euros is very important, but it leaves out Argentina, three-time world champion; Brazil, five-time world champion; and Uruguay, two-time world champion. There are many world champions left out to say that the Euro is the most difficult, right?" the 36-year-old quipped.

"In the World Cup, the best teams are there, and all the world champions are generally there. That's why everyone wants to be a world champion,” he ended.

La Liga boss Tebas backs Mbappe on Euros claim

In a related article, Sports Brief noted that La Liga president, Javier Tebas, recently remarked on the relative difficulty of winning the UEFA European Championship compared to the FIFA World Cup.

Tebas contends that securing the Euros is tougher than triumphing in the World Cup, despite the latter being considered the pinnacle of sporting achievements.