Former PSG midfielder Javier Pastore revealed the unbelievable words that Kylian Mbappe had for his senior Messi.

Kylian Mbappe and Messi were close teammates when they were in the same PSG shirt. But the 2022 World Cup final brought conflicting emotions between the two. Mbappe scored a hat-trick in the final but France still lost painfully on the 11-meter penalty shootout, while Messi played the hero who brought Argentina to the world championship.

A few months after the final in Qatar, Javier Pastore had the opportunity to meet Mbappe again. The former PSG and Argentina midfielder recounted in La Nacion newspaper:

“I met Mbappe a few months after the World Cup final. That was the time when PSG was training. I went into the dressing room to greet the PSG players, including Mbappe, Messi and Neymar. I congratulated Mbappe on his impressive World Cup performance but he pointed at Messi and said: “No, this bastard Messi stole the World Cup from us.”

Pastore used to share the PSG shirt with Mbappe

Of course it was just a playful joke between close teammates. Pastore has great respect for Mbappe:

“I talked a lot with Kylian. He is a player who is very focused on his career. He lost the final and the next day immediately made his next plan. He has a remarkable bravery and mentality.”

“I know Mbappe well. We have a very good relationship. He has a winner’s mentality and always comes on the field with 100% desire. I was surprised at how serious Mbappe was about his career at such a young age. I only see that in Ronaldo and Messi.”

“It is very difficult for the new generation of players to have the same concentration and seriousness as Mbappe. I couldn’t find it in other young players, but luckily there was Haaland.”

Pastore and Messi are in the Argentina national team

Javier Pastore spent 7 seasons playing for PSG (2011-2018), in which the talented midfielder had the opportunity to work side by side with Mbappe in the last season. The 34-year-old player was the soul of PSG’s playing style in the period 2011-2013. The Argentine midfielder played a total of 269 matches for the French team and scored 45 goals.

Pastore is also a longtime teammate of Messi in the Argentina national team. The midfielder, currently on the staff of Qatar SC, has played for Argentina 29 times and scored 2 goals.