Kylian Mbappe shares 'unbelievable' Lionel Messi training story from PSG days

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Kylian Mbappe has offered a fascinating glimpse into what it was like to share a training pitch with Lionel Messi during their time together at Paris Saint-Germain. The Real Madrid superstar admitted he was left stunned by the Argentine's metronomic consistency in front of goal.

The magic of the MNM era

For two seasons, football fans were treated to the dream frontline of Mbappe, Messi, and Neymar at the Parc des Princes. While the trio did not manage to deliver the elusive Champions League trophy to the French capital, the individual brilliance on display during their daily sessions remains etched in Mbappe's memory.

Reflecting on those days during an appearance on the podcast The Bridge, the French captain spoke glowingly about the eight-time Ballon d'Or winner. The Bondy native confessed that Messi operated on a completely different level of technical perfection.

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A masterclass in finishing

Mbappe shared a specific anecdote from a shooting drill in Paris that left him questioning his own world-class abilities. Even with Neymar's flair and his own clinical nature, the Frenchman admitted that neither could match the efficiency and repetitive precision displayed by Messi during routine practice.

"Messi, it’s actually too much. He does everything well," Mbappe explains. "I’ll tell you an anecdote, we were doing finishing in Paris. In Paris, Ney and I were at the top of the pile. He arrived, we took 10 shots, Ney and I scored 6 or 7. Leo hit it 9 times, he scored the same goal 9 times. Only passes into the net."

Leaves team-mates in disbelief

The sheer ease with which Messi dispatched his efforts caught the rest of the star-studded squad off guard. Mbappe described a sense of bewilderment at seeing such a high level of execution, noting that the Argentine made the most difficult aspects of the game look entirely routine.

Continuing his recollection of the session, Mbappe added: "I looked at him like 'did you not understand or what'. It's too much." This sense of awe from a player of Mbappe's stature underscores the unique impact Messi had on his colleagues, even during the twilight years of his European career before moving to Inter Miami.

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A legacy of greatness

While all three members of the famous "MNM" trio have now moved on to new chapters - Mbappe to Real Madrid, Messi to MLS, and Neymar back to Santos - the mutual respect remains. Mbappe’s comments highlight that beyond the trophies and the headlines, it is the technical mastery that truly defined Messi's tenure in Ligue 1.