New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani picked Kylian Mbappe as his standout player in a 2026 World Cup challenge on CBSSportsGolazo's Instagram page, snubbing Lionel Messi entirely. The mayor navigated through a series of head-to-head matchups, making some eyebrow-raising calls along the way.
Mamdani started by backing Riyad Mahrez over Son Heung-min before opting for the Algerian midfielder again instead of David Alaba. He later swapped Alaba for Kevin De Bruyne, though the Belgian midfielder eventually lost out to Vinicius Jr in a direct comparison.
The New York official then favored Vinicius over Luis Diaz but switched gears to select Lamine Yamal ahead of the Real Madrid winger. Amad Diallo came up next, yet Mamdani stuck with his choice of Yamal.
When Mohamed Salah entered the picture, the mayor ranked him above Yamal, Harry Kane, Achraf Hakimi, and Sadio Mane. Erling Haaland proved to be a standout for Mamdani, who called the Norwegian "the best striker in the game right now."
Haaland edged out both Salah and Cristiano Ronaldo in the mayor's assessment. The challenge culminated with Mbappe beating out Haaland and Messi for the top spot.
Mbappe has delivered a stellar performance for France, netting seven goals across five matches in the tournament. Messi has matched that excellence for Argentina, scoring in every single game and finishing with eight goals overall.
France faces Morocco in the quarter-finals on July 8, while Argentina takes on Switzerland on July 12. The two nations occupy opposite sides of the World Cup bracket, raising the prospect of a final replay from the 2022 edition.
